Making home
by debatable-cerealkiller
Summary: When she was born she was alone. Without family or home she lived for over 80 years wandering Middle Earth. But when stumbling upon an unusual company trying to claim back their homeland, Merys can't help but join them in their crazy quest. And hopefully find a place to call home in the process. KiliXOC
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I don't own the hobbit. I only own my OC Merys._

 _Really awkward prologue, but the next chapters are better so please keep reading!_

* * *

Prologue

My first memory was of my birth. I remember waking in a grassy plain, limbs sore and fatigued. Everything was quiet except for the rustle of the tall grass as the wind gently nudged it to the side to pass. I lay there for a while as I waited for my mind to clear and for my thoughts to settle.

The long blades of grass tickled the bare soles of my feet and I couldn't help but wriggle my toes at them. Everything I saw around me seemed extremely bright, the colours saturated, but at the time I didn't mind the way the branches with their almost fluorescent leaves and neon blue sky imprinted itself in my brain to make a lasting memory.

But that was years ago when I awoke inside the body of young child of unknown descent all alone in a much too cruel world. I did not know that then. However whether or not I knew about the harsh world I'd landed in I wasn't going to be able to change anything about it. A young kid that looked about ten, with nothing on her and without a clue on what to do, until I heard a voice calling me name. Merys.

* * *

 _Okay so this is the first fanfiction ever I am actually posting and this is a very scary thing. I am actually a graphic designer so it is very hard for me to write this when really I just think in images all the time. English is also not my first language so the possibility of this containing embarrassing mistakes is possible. I you spot any or you want to tell me what you think about this thing I am trying to do here please tell me in the review section._

 _is really just a short piece to sort of introduce my OC, but I will post the next part in a bit._

 _PPS. I will also soon put a link somewhere to show you a character design of Merys when I finish it._

 _edit: forgot the disclaimer_


	2. Ch 1 Taking the leap

_Disclaimer: I don't own the hobbit. I only own my OC Merys._

* * *

Some 80 years or so later, somewhere close to the town of Bree

After hearing word of a strange company passing through Bree in the local inn she couldn't help but want to find out more. Her curiosity wasn't always a good thing. To be honest it had led her into more situations that ended badly rather than good. The urge to know more about the company that was currently passing through her area was just too much for her to endure. So she packed her stuff and clambered up the tree just as they passed under the thick foliage that prevented them from seeing her as long as she didn't make too much noise.

And a strange company it was indeed she thought as she started counting the heads of the numerous dwarfs, but stopping when she saw the head of someone that obviously wasn't a dwarf for their stature was to small and no facial hair could be spotted. And soon she noticed the tell-tale signs of a hobbit. His large feet hanging of the sides of his pony as he sniveled his nose once before he sneezed making his curly hair bounce. Leaping from branch to branch as quietly as possible she started following them, picking up bits and pieces of conversation here and there. Scanning each face to try and remember the names they dropped from time to time to the person it belonged to for there was only one in the company she could identify. Sitting on his horse and smoking his pipe he was talking with the grumpy faced dwarf riding at the front. The grey pilgrim, Gandalf himself.

She'd heard many stories about the wise wizard. The children in the towns she passed would speak of a man that produced the most amazing fireworks and she'd always longed to see them. Of course she'd never met him before, but it was without a doubt the grey wizard. As she continued leaping through the trees she could just make out snippets of their conversation. Dragons, mountains and the words home reached my ears.

Home. It was a word that never really held any meaning to her, but she still felt her feet falter and she scrambled before finding purchase again. Her heart raced as she hurriedly looked down to see if somebody had noticed only to find the eyes of Grumpy staring in her direction. He squinted before spurring his pony into a trot again. His startlingly blue eyes left her frozen and when she found the curly haired hobbit's face turn astonished as he looked her directly in the eye all she could do was lift a finger in front of her mouth in a plea for him to keep silent. He gave a slight nod before he too moved on. Stupid. How could she have been so stupid to give away her position like that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She shook her head and slammed her hand into her face.

After berating herself some more she urged herself to start moving again. This time hopefully without nearly falling to her ass. However she soon found herself without any trees to climb in and was left with nothing but to continue on the ground. Luckily the sun was already beginning to set and not long after Grumpy gave the order to set up camp for the night. Thankful for the rest she lowered herself on the platform above the company but still close to the fire. Thank Valar there was hardly any wind tonight and what wind was there only aided in moving the heat of the fire in her direction. To be honest the thought of not having been completely found out yet made her swell with pride. And so she bundled up one of her scarfs before grabbing a small loaf of bread she'd gotten in Bree and an even smaller piece of cheese she kept for when she wanted to treat myself and turned around lying on the hard stone and shoved her scarf under her head. The Bread was still fresh and the cheese made her salivate even before she could pop a piece of it in her mouth. The water from her waterskin was cold, but she didn't mind too much. She sighed once blissfully unaware of the inquisitive gaze of the small creature on the ground.

Bilbo handed Myrtle an apple while wondering to himself whether or not he should mention to the rest of the company that they were being followed. But before he could make a decision there was a blood curdling scream that appeared to be not very far from where they were.

"What was that?" he asked concern filling his voice.

"Orcs." she heard the youngest dwarf, Kili, say in what appeared to be mock fright. She scoffed there was nothing funny about orc raids.

"Orcs?" Bilbo inquired

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." the other young one said in a matter of fact tone.

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams just lots of blood." the dark haired one finished. Their chuckles were soon cut off however when I could hear the booming voice of Grumpy, "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said, embarrassment apparent on his face.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." he growled and Merys couldn't help, but feel sorry for Kili even if he was being an ass.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first." The dwarf with the white beard stated.

He then proceeded to tell the story of how Grumpy(Thorin) got his name slaying the white Orc. Azog the Defiler. Merys had of course heard of the orcs, but had never seen one up close before so she had a hard time imagining what one would look like let alone one like Azog. She couldn't help but shiver at the tale. She slept very little that night, the warmth of the fire bot strong enough to still her shivers.

Merys woke with sore limbs where the cold of last night had seeped into her bones. However she was looking forward to the journey ahead as she recognized the tops of trees not far ahead. Her joy however was short lived as showers of frigid water soon fell down from the heavens. It didn't take long for Merys to be soaked to the bone, her clothing heavy with the freezing downpour. She couldn't help but slip every once and again, her bare feet finding it difficult to find purchase on the slick bark of the pines. Grumpy as she had decided to continue calling him was starting to notice her murmured curses however and she continually felt his scrutinizing gaze at the trees surrounding her. He wasn't the only one who'd noticed though she figured for the young ones, Fili and Kili where whispering quite rapidly casting wary glances above them.

"Are there any?" she heard a soaked Bilbo ask the great wizard.

"What?"

"Other wizards." Bilbo clarified.

Gandalf then proceeded to tell them of the other four, but Merys was a bit too busy worrying about what branch to grab next to care for the information he provided. She was so engrossed in her work to that she didn't even notice when Kili murmured something to another dwarf.

Merys was just about to leap to another branch when a stone the size of half her fist hit her in the shoulder and she couldn't help but let out a animal like wail as she started falling. The fall wasn't exactly short, but it seemed to her that gravity was extra spiteful today (probably the excessive amount of water in her clothing) and she soon found herself smacking into one of the wet, thorny bushes at the base of the tree. The branches cracked underneath her weight and she practically disappeared into it. There was the sound of blades being removed from their sheaths and then only her laboured breaths as her heart thumped rapidly inside her chest.

* * *

Please leave a review and I'd be honoured if you faved and followed this story!

edit: forgot the disclaimer


	3. Ch 2 Nasty business

_Disclaimer: I don't own the hobbit. I only own my OC Merys._

 _So I wasn't planning on posting this so soon but when I saw that someone had decided to actually follow the story my excitement got the best of me so here is another chapter._

* * *

Merys gazed at the swords that were being pointed at her and gulped. She'd never had the intention to do anything harmful to them, but when she thought about it now she really was too nosy for her own good.

"State your name and purpose." Grumpy barked, but when she lifted her head out of the pesky shrub that scratched at her skin his face faltered for a moment. They had obviously expected something far more dangerous. Not a young girl covered in scratches and a wild mop of black hair.

"Uh, um Merys!" she stuttered, "Ah, uh, no purpose whatsoever!" she nearly shouted. This seemed to pull them of guard however for their blades lowered a bit and they all exchanged unsure looks. "I was just curious. I didn't intend for this to happen and you have my utmost apologies!" she glanced at Bilbo trying to find the words that could hopefully get her out of this mess.

"You hadn't intended to be caught?" one of the dwarfs asked.

"Yes a-ah…No I have no ill intent I mean… Just wanted… I just thought…." she stammered. "I just wanted to help. I heard your story and I've never really had a home before so I might not understand, but I thought I might be able to help!" The dwarfs looked at each other before Kili asked, "Help? Why would you want to help us?" his confusion became even more obvious when he asked his next question, "What are you anyway?"

At this her face darkened with humiliation. She knew she wasn't like any of the others she had seen on her travels through Middle Earth. She wasn't anything like a hobbit for her feet were too small and he limbs too muscular. She wasn't a dwarf either, because she had no beard and her ears were too pointy. It seemed as if the Valar threw random bits and pieces together and the end result was Merys. The question stung and she couldn't help but wince. She wanted to answer, but to be honest she hadn't even the slightest clue herself. "I don't know." she murmured whilst biting her lip. She looked away embarrassment taking over her body as she started fiddling with her thumbs. She faintly heard a heated but quiet argument going on to her left as if they didn't want anybody else to hear, but she didn't heed it any mind. She refused to look any of them in the eye.

"My child?" the voice of the wizard made her eyes move up to the hand he'd stuck out for her to take. Hesitatingly she moved to take it, but a look of the stern faced Thorin made her take it back. Gandalf himself shot Thorin a nasty glare once before trying again. "Don't be frightened my child. Take my hand." his voice was firm and Merys once again tried to reach for his hand this time ignoring the daggers Grumpy shot her way.

The wizards hands were warm despite the bone-chilling rain that continued to beat down on them. And when she laid her hand in his the grey pilgrim knew that she was meant to be here. It was what she was created for. Created by the Valar themselves. There was no doubt about it she had to accompany them on this journey for otherwise innocent lives would be lost.

"No mind, dear you shall come with us." he said with a small smile on his face. The dwarves however were less than pleased and started arguing with the wizard stating such as; "We don't even know who she is!" and "What if she gets in our way!". The wizard however didn't back down. "When is say this child is coming with us then coming with us she shall!" he boomed. The dwarfs looked for their leader for help, but all he did was shake his head and sheathed his blade. The others guffawed, but then they too sheathed their weapons and trotted over to their ponies all the while mumbling incoherent disagreements.

They had been riding for a while now. Merys sitting behind Gandalf for no one else had offered to take her. Not as if she would take up much space being only slightly taller than Master Baggins, if only by about a finger's width. But despite that she still felt guilty for taking up space on the wizards horse. No guilt however could stop her from falling into slumber, the lack of rest from the night before catching up on her and the sway of the horse lulling her to sleep. Her head rested on the wizards back and a soft snoring could be heard not much later.

"The lass must have been exhausted." Bofur said, "Jumping around from tree to tree for hours without rest." concern laced his voice as he looked at the face of the young woman.

"Yes, she must have." Gandalf agreed.

"How old do you think she is?" Ori asked before gasping at the dark bruise that was starting to form on her slightly bare shoulder. The guilt he felt was already eating at him and he promised himself to apologise to her when she'd wake up.

"I believe that that is a question you should ask her yourself Ori. Though I doubt she is as young as she appears." Gandalf replied. By then Merys' mouth had slowly started falling open and her snores had become slightly louder. Kili and Fili who'd decided to join Ori stared in shock at the small but still noticeable sharp four canines. They appeared to be like that of an animal but when they looked at her face she seemed like an angel with her darker skin, shiny black haired curls and almond-shaped eyes.

"Gandalf?" Fili asked, "Do you know what she is?" Of course it was rude to talk about her with her being unconscious like that, but

curiosity got the better of him.

"I might. However I believe I should discuss it with Miss Merys before I do so with you, my boy." Gandalf said as he glanced at Fili whose cheeks were flushed with pink. After that everyone stayed quiet as it was obvious they weren't going to get much more talk out of the wise man.

Time ticked by and when Thorin decided to set up camp next to the ruins of a farmhouse a sizeable patch of drool could be found on the wizards cloak. Thank Valar it wasn't too obvious between all the gray cloth, but Merys' cheeks still turned scarlet when Kili snickered and pointed at the stain. She couldn't help, but laugh at it too for if it had happened to somebody else she probably would have laughed to. When Kili left to take care of the ponies like his uncle had told him, she was left with nothing to do. And she watched as Gandalf stalked of speaking about having had enough of dwarfs for the day, it didn't really come to Merys as a surprise. She's met several dwarfs on her previous travels despite them being quite secretive about everything that concerned them. And she'd come to the conclusion that they were a stubborn lot really, but they cared for their own and weren't all bad if you got past it. And unlike last night she couldn't just sit by and let the others do all the work so she decided she might as well help with dinner.

So she walked over to the fire introducing herself formally as she hadn't done that yet, but after offering her help she was immediately turned down and told to just rest. Frustrated she decided to take matters into her own hands and walking of into the forest. Living of the land for eighty years certainly hadn't left her without any useful skills and when she came back with three chubby rabbits and a shawl full of edible wild mushrooms she was welcomed by more than just those she had introduced herself to. And soon she was joking with them and listening to their stories while they cooked and dried strips of meat over the fire. But just as she put the last spoonful of the luxurious stew into her mouth the young brothers burst out of the canopy telling everyone to bring their weapons for their burglar was caught by trolls.

As everybody rushed to grab their blades Merys was already speeding through the bushes and leaping over broken trees unsure of what had taken over her. She felt this pull. A darkness rolling over her and the need to save Bilbo. But when she found the hobbit she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to come any closer. Revolting slime was almost covering him entirely and not quite sure whether she would survive the disease she would most definitely catch if she touched him. However when she heard the words "Can we cook it?" and "We sure can try." she rushed out of her hiding place not quite sure whether she probably should have waited for someone else to join her. She rushed out into the clearing feeling this dark sensation taking over. There was no turning back when the troll in the middle pointed his fat finger at her and squealed "There's another! Catch it before it escapes!".

As Merys and Bilbo both started running for their lives she couldn't help but think of how stupid it was to be killed by a troll. They were literally the most daft creatures she had ever encountered and when one of their disgusting fingers grazed her leg she almost wanted to cut the bloody thing off. As she looked away she slammed into the burglar, making it way to easy for the trolls to latch onto her calf and hold her up by the legs. Merys could already feel her delicious stew rising to her throat. Sadly she knew it wouldn't be as tasty on the way out.

* * *

 _The next updates are going to be less frequent as I was actually planning to update every weekend and not every day. (I'm actually in the last semester of the school year and I need to hand in a lot of projects) I am however planning to post more frequently during the summer holiday so please be patient with me. :3_

 _PS. thank you for following me!_

 _edit: forgot the disclaimer._


	4. Ch 3 Parasites?

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the hobbit movies or books. I only own my OC Merys._

* * *

Just as the contents of her stomach were about to be spit out again she saw Kili rushing into the clearing.

"You fool you'll get yourself killed rushing in like that!" which was probably very hypocritical of her given that it was the exact same she had done only moments before.

"Drop him!" Kili demanded completely ignoring Merys as if she wasn't even there.

"You what?" one of the trolls said.

"I said, drop him." but he'd barely finished his sentence before Bilbo was hollered at him. They slammed down to the ground and she doubted Kili had meant it quite that literally. She could hear the shouts of the rest of the company as they burst out of the brush. Fighting soon ensued, but the troll that had latched onto her leg didn't let go and instead swung her around as if she was a ragdoll. She could hear the groans of the dwarves as they fought, but she couldn't help but close her eyes as she now hung by only one leg and got slammed into one of the dwarves. Stars soon enveloped her vision. She knew dwarfs were stubborn, but she didn't know they were literally this hardheaded. As she passed out she couldn't help but wonder how her leg hadn't popped out of its socket yet.

When the weight of what felt like a small carriage smashed into her shoulder she regained consciousness. Her head seemed to pulse from the hit she'd received, but thank Valar for she was no longer upside down and was instead lying on the ground. Or at least that was what she thought until she could feel the ground moving under her. She looked up only to find Kili shout "Mine are the biggest parasites, I have got huge parasites."

 _What in Valar's name is going on?_ she thought before saying out loud "Parasites?" she looked as everyone started claiming they had parasites.

"So what do you suggest then? Let them all go?" one of the trolls said.

" Well…" and then I understood what Bilbo was trying to do. Sadly the troll did too and continued turning the spit roast when suddenly the booming voice of Gandalf could be heard.

"The dawn will take you all!" After mumbling something she couldn't quite hear the Grey wizard slammed down his staff and just like that he split the large boulder where the sun's rays had started to shine. Golden rays poured through the opening. Steadily turning the trolls to stone as they tried to shield their grotesque faces. Relieved cheers and sighs soon escaped the company.

As the rest of the company was being lifted out of sacks and taken off of the roast Merys walked over to Kili where she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her pride apparent on his face as if he personally had saved her when she snickered "Parasites, huh?". His face turned the deepest red when he looked at her. She grinned when she tasted the sweet revenge after the little drooling incident. He soon laughed with her as well though when he saw she had no ill intent and they soon engaged in a conversation with Fili and Ori who apologized for hitting her with the catapult, as they hadn't got the chance to do so yet. When they asked her how her shoulder was she said she wasn't going to die from a small bruise. Truthfully the bruise had long since healed before they even encountered the trolls, but there was no need for them to know. There were things that she just wasn't quite ready to share with them yet, but when they asked of her age she was willing to delude some information at least. When she said she'd been born 82 years ago they seemed surprised. They hadn't really known what to expect but for her to be nearly the same age as Kili and the same age as Fili left them baffled. In return the fact that Ori was actually about twenty years older left her speechless. Their ages seemed to make them become even closer however and they joked around some more whilst searching for the cave Thorin said had to be nearby. When they found it however Merys nearly passed out from the smell that was being emitted from inside. The stench was so revolting, coming any closer than she already was would probably kill her.

"There's no way I'm going in there." she murmured moving one of her many shawls in front of her nose and mouth to stifle the foul smell.

The young dwarfs agreed but it seemed that Gandalf and some of the others were more curious as to what was inside.

As they waited outside she put her hand to one of the trees waiting for the flush of warmth she usually felt to seep through her fingertips into her arms, but instead she was met with a creeping sensation and the feeling of dread. She was so focused she didn't even notice when she was being pulled from the green but lifeless moss until she could hear a strange sound. A soft sound like the thumping of tiny feet and not long after feeling the small tremors Radagast the Brown slipped into view on his sled pulled by his Rhosgobel rabbits. Merys had actually met Radagast before as they both loved and cared for nature, but she doubted he would recognize her for the last time they met she had still been a child. There wasn't any time for her to catch up though because Gandalf almost immediately pulled him of to the side. Worry started to take over. Worry for the plants that felt like they were infected and worried for Radagast. Why had he been running? Was he being followed and was the thing that followed him gone or was it still there?

The cry of an animal soon snapped her out of her thoughts. "Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked " Are there.. Are there wolves out there?" he stuttered.

"Wolves? No that is not a wolf out there." Bofur said as everything suddenly seemed to move very fast. Two wargs seemingly popped out of nowhere and were dead just as soon. Thorin killed the first and the second got killed of by Dwalin after a shot from Kili's arrow. But there it was again this feeling taking over Merys' body. The ominous feeling had been present ever since she saw the troll grabbing at Bilbo, but seemed to increase almost every second.

"Warg scouts. Which means an orcpack is not far behind." Thorin stated pulling his new blade out of the dead creature.

"Orc pack?" she faintly heard Bilbo ask, but she was too focused on the warg that lay dead before her. The creature looked vicious even when already dead and the thought of something even more vile riding it made her shiver and her blood boil at the same time. Never had she felt such rage before. These were the things that had slaughtered many warriors and families alike. And if it wasn't for the insistent pulling of the others she probably still would have stood there being consumed by her anger.

They ran and ran down the green slopes searching for cover behind the large boulders jutting out of the grassy plains. They moved from cover to cover, Ori got seen when he passed one of the boulders before being pulled back by Thorin. When one of the orcs traced their smells and was about to come upon their hiding place Merys heart stopped. Thorin motioned for Kili to shoot it and the orc that was riding the warg tumbled down. It's cries as it was being killed seemed to carry far however and they quickly found themselves running again.

Not long after however they found themselves cornered beside a particularly large set of boulders and as she could find no trace of the wizard she started to panic. How was she going to protect the company if there was no way for them to run. Merys cringed as the haunting feeling continued to consume her. She didn't even hear the voice of the wizard as he led the dwarfs to a secret passage. Her blood ran cold as her eyes focused on the lone warg that was snapping at Kili's feet as he finally ran for the passage. The young girl ran as if her own life depended on it and with the strength of a bear Merys sunk her hand into the flank of the vile beast, bit down on its neck and ripped its head clean off. She had just tossed the carcass to the side when shock started taking over. She didn't struggle as she was pulled to the opening of the secret pass. The taste of bitter blood on her tongue and the black substance on her hand made her wince. She'd never killed anything before that wasn't for the purpose of survival. Of course this had been for survival too, but it still felt different. The perilous feeling that had been haunting her for the past hours seemed to dissipate together with the anger as she slid down the ramp. But as the ominous sensation faded it was followed by the feeling of loathing towards herself. She was sure she was going to be sick. She stared into the eyes of Fili and Kili as they looked down at her while gripping her shoulders. A tear she couldn't hold back flowed down her cheek.

* * *

 _So I'm really excited about more people following this story and even favouriting it. It really means a lot to me and I'm really grateful._

 _If there is anything you want to say don't be afraid to write a review._

 _PS. I'm planning on making this KilixOC, but I also played around with the idea of making it so you can choose who Merys ends up with. I personally think she would match Kili well, but if you think someone else is better suited tell me. Please I'd really like to know what you think._


	5. Ch 4 Much needed respite

_Okay so here's the fourth chapter. Hope you enjoy._  
 _Disclaimer - I do not own anything other than my OCs._

* * *

"Come on you need to get up." Fili said as he moved her into a standing position.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" She heard Dwalin say who was immediately answered by Bofur, "Follow it of course!" As the company started moving Merys was tapped on the shoulder. She turned to see Thorin standing by her side as he murmured "I appreciate what you did. Thank you." the words were spoken quickly and she could barely hear the muffled words, but she nodded and murmured a your welcome herself before stumbling after the company. She was surprised really, she hadn't expected Thorin to personally thank her. She knew he didn't trust her which she had expected, because really she was just a stranger that somehow ended up tagging along on a quest she had no part in. She wasn't even really part of the company for she hadn't signed any sort of contract which Bilbo had told her about. It wasn't her home they were trying to reclaim after all. She thought about this as she looked around the open crevice they were currently walking in. And somehow she had ended up with her hand in Bilbo's as he urged her to continue walking the narrow path.

So lost in thought she didn't even notice when Bilbo let go of her hand and everybody had stopped. She slammed into the back of Fili. She muttered an apology, but it fell on deaf ears and when the girl opened her eyes she understood why. In front of her she could see the most beautiful scene she had ever seen.

"The valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it's known by another name." Gandalf said.

"Rivendell." Bilbo and Merys murmured simultaneously.

"Here lies the last homely house east of the sea."

When the company started moving again Merys was dazed. Her previous thoughts conveniently forgotten as she walked ahead of the company down the steps that led the way. She didn't hold any ill will to elves. To be more specific she'd enjoyed the company of some of them when on the road. So when she was about to race down the path she had to be held back by a struggling Bilbo. They may have been just as tall as one another, but he never expected the young girl to be so strong. Of course he also hadn't seen how she had ripped of the head of a warg without blinking, though he had wondered at what the black substance around her mouth was. He'd tried to mention it to her before, but she had made no move yet to wipe it away. When they reached the court yard he had to ask the help of Fili and Kili to prevent her from running of to explore.

They were greeted by one of the elves, "Lindir" Gandalf had called him. When Gandalf inquired about Lord Elrond however he told him that he wasn't here. But he was soon proven wrong when horns were blown and group of elves on elegant horses rode towards the courtyard over the very path they had taken only moments earlier. The dwarfs weren't as excited as Merys though and she was immediately pulled into their armed circle and when she reached for one of the horses Dwalin had slapped her hand down. She scowled at him. She hadn't planned to actually touch the horse for she wasn't insane and being scolded like that made her feel as if she was a small child.

"Gandalf." the one she assumed had to be Lord Elrond spoke.

"Mellonnen! Mo evinedh?" She could understand "My friend." but the last part was lost on her. And the reply was even more so for the girl could only understand so much of the elvish language. The elves she had met on her journeys had been less secretive than the dwarfs, but the elves hadn't really had the time to teach her more for they were always busy. Always patrolling borders and protecting the lands.

"Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near." _Ah,_ she thought _Oops_.

"Ah that may have been us." Gandalf replied.

Merys forced herself out of the protective circle they had build and ignored the whispered commands to get back in. She reached for one of the horses muzzle after receiving a go ahead from the elf riding it. The horse was so large she could barely reach its flank in height, but when the gorgeous creature lowered its head to smell her hand she nearly squealed in delight completely forgetting about the rest of the company. The girl brushed its neck with her hand when Lord Elrond's coal tinted horse started to nip on her hair. She giggled unaware of the gaze of Lord Elrond and Gandalf on her. When she turned to look at the others however she found all of them already left to find food.

"Come my dear, we'll find you some place to clean up." Lord Elrond said as he lay his hand on her shoulder to lead her the way. With a last quick pet she followed him.

She only noticed how dirty she was when she stood in the pristine bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. The dark blood had started to cake onto her skin and her hair looked like a birds nest. The lady who was appointed to help her get cleaned, coaxed her out of her dirty clothing, but Merys couldn't hear the startled gasp the dark haired elf gave when she saw the black ink tattooed into her skin.

The water in the tub was pleasantly warm and crystal clear. At least until she got in and the water turned slightly murky. She gave an apologetic look at the elf that was washing her hair, which she returned only with a polite smile. There was still blood underneath her fingernails and she frantically tried to scratch it out from underneath and when it was finally gone her fingers were raw and red and stung as she dipped them in the slightly salty water. The elf helping her just washed the last of the dirt and soap out of her hair and waited for Merys to step out of the water. As she wrapped the enormous towel around her small form she hummed a slight approval at her now clean state. But Merys couldn't help but feel ridiculous as the cloth wrapped around her completely and made her look like a bedroll. When the elf moved her over to a dresser to dry and comb her hair she looked in the mirror again. Just as she thought, she looked ridiculous, but at least she was clean. Her dark skin looked smooth and the markings on her cheeks were visible again. She looked young, almost like a child next to the tall elf whose ears were the similar pointed shape.

When the elf finally helped her out of the "bedroll" and helped her into one of their elvish dresses she felt even more uncomfortable. The sleeves at the top were too tightly wrapped around her muscular arms and the silvery blue colour looked out of place on her rougher physique. When she looked at the elf with a frown on her face the elf nodded and went to retrieve something else. When she returned with a bundle of cloth. Merys recognized the clothing, it was from the same region she had been "born" in, but didn't hold the Southern accents she'd added from her brief time in Harad. It made her feel nostalgic though and so she nodded her head fervently in reply.

Luckily this was far more comfortable. The shawl around her neck a rich dark blue, the loose top cinched at the waist and the flowing skirt both a creamy white. Merys could easily run in the clothing and was similar to her own as she wore a baggy, soft pair of leggings underneath. When she asked of what had happened to her own clothing the elf she now knew was called Idril told her that it was being cleaned and mended for her.

When they were on their way to meet the rest of the company she couldn't help, but marvel at the architecture and before she knew it she was in the Elven court where she was greeted by some of the younger ones of the company. Apparently the dwarfs weren't too fond of the food that was being served however. She had expected this of course, but the girl wasn't nearly as picky though, which meant that there would be more for her. Merys settled herself between Bilbo and Kili and starting shovelling the green leaves into her mouth causing the rest to laugh as she nearly choked before swallowing everything down with the elvish wine.

Mean while the discussion about swords between Elrond and Gandalf had halted as the dark haired elf broached a new topic.

"My old friend I have to ask you. What sort of addition does she offer to your already strange company?" the sideways glance he cast her showed him a mirthful young girl, but he had noticed the darkness inside her when he'd touched her shoulder earlier.

"I don't know," the wizard answered truthfully, "her youthful side is sure to bring the company further in their journey, but whether her shadows will consume her in the process… I fear for her, but caring for others is the reason she was put on Middle Earth. To show mercy to those who deserve and to take care of others no matter the cost.

* * *

 _Okay so I just wanted to give a heads up that I've decided that I'm going to continue this as a KiliXOC fic. I haven't received anything so I'm assuming you guys are fine with that. SO yeah..._

 _PS. the next two chapters are going to be double the size so I hope you'll look forward to that._

 _PPS. And please review, follow or favourite! I'd be happy with anything really haha._


	6. Ch 5 A beginning of something?

_Disclaimer - I only own my OC Merys and any other OCs that might be shoved in here._

 _Okay so I wasn't going to post this until Friday, but I got really excited again that people decided to follow this that I couldn't help myself. Really thanks a lot to the people who did, it really, really, really means a lot to me you guys make my day!_

* * *

"I can't believe you ate all of that! And still want more." it really was amazing even for the standard of a hobbit or a dwarf. Merys was eating her fifth bowl of salad and had finished the others in a mere moment as she almost seemed to be inhaling them as if they were air.

" You know what I can't believe? What you just said about that male elf." she chortled, "Could you really not tell?"

"Just leave it." Kili grumbled.  
"Change the tune why don't you!" she heard Nori mutter, "I feel like I'm at a funeral."

"Did somebody die?" Oin then said and Merys couldn't help, but snicker.

"Alright lads there's only one thing for it." Bofur said before climbing onto the table kicking of her plate in the process.

 _There's an inn, there's an inn  
_ _There's a merry old inn  
_ _Beneath an old grey hill  
_ _And there they brew a beer so brown  
_ _The man in the moon himself came down_

 _One night to drink his fill_

 _And the ostler has a tipsy cat  
_ _That plays the five-stringed fiddle  
_ _And up and down he runs his bow  
_ _Now squeaking high, now purring low  
_ _And now sawing in the middle_

 _And the cat and the fiddle  
_ _Played hey diddle diddle  
_ _A jig that would wake the dead  
_ _He squeaked and sawed and quickened his tune  
_ _And the landlord shook the man in the moon  
_ _It's after three; he said_

They all sung as the dwarfs threw food at each other and completely ignored Merys when she said she still wanted to eat. She too however quickly forgot the food and joined in with the antics of the company.

When Merys got to her room the sky had turned from an orange to a darker colour. The wind had picked up slightly leaving air with a refreshing coolness to it that brushed against her warm skin as she stood on the balcony. No stars were out yet given that it was still to early , but the sky still had a relaxing quality about it. The ivy that had found its way up the balustrade, but it was still evident that the elves took great care when it came to their gardens and the plants. Everything was in perfect condition. Hesitatingly the girl moved to touch one of its leaves. After the incident with the Greenwood tree in the morning she had been reluctant to come into contact with any other greenery.

She always felt like she had a connection with plants. Merys couldn't make a plant grow or bend to her will - though she had tried multiple times in the hope of gaining special powers just like when she tried to move objects without touching them (alas both without result). She could however feel when they were in need of more water or better soil and therefore they did seem to grow better and longer. But the creeping sensation she had felt when touching the tree had sparked something in her. She doubted the plants in Rivendell would be contaminated with whatever it was that made the Greenwood sick, but the lingering fear of changing like she had done was not something she could shake. How was she to explain the situation to the elves if they found her going on a rampage. Merys knew that she would have to tell the company of her gifts at some point for no real good had ever come of lying, but she just wanted to keep a few things to herself a little longer for they were hardly useful in battle.

When the company woke in the morning they were greeted with a pleasant smell wafting through the slanted door of the spacious but still completely occupied room for the dwarfs had decided to stay together. The smell of baked eggs, fresh bread, and steaming chamomile tea with a generous spoon of honey filled their nostrils and soon the dwarfs were searching for its source. It didn't take long for Bombur to find Merys sitting at one of the large tables in the side dining hall. The table was filled to the brim with fresh buns, scones, sweet bread, eggs (unfortunately without bacon), jams, cheeses and hot tea. Merys hadn't started to eat yet for she figured the smell of food would soon show the way to the pretty dining room they had let her have to serve the elaborate breakfast she'd made.

The young lady sitting on the chair that was slightly too large for her was back in her old clothing. Though she'd loved the new dress the elves had prepared for her this is what she felt comfortable in. Merys gave the company her brightest smile for she was very proud of the work she'd started working on early in the morning.

She hadn't been able to sleep much. The bed made her feel like she was swimming in blankets and pillows. Merys rarely slept inside, perhaps on the less occasional harsh winter night, but those nights she slept on the uncomfortable hay filled mattresses the inns provided. This bed however was a soft one filled with feathers and cotton. She had found it to be too soft compared to the hard ground and tree bark in the forests. But despite the lack of sleep and the dark circles underneath her eyes she was looking forward to having breakfast with everyone.

And it seemed she wasn't the only one if she judged by the haphazard way they had put on her clothes. Well maybe not having breakfast with her especially, but the appreciation of the food she'd made still filled her with joy.

With the sun high in the sky and a gentle breeze present Merys wished the weather could be like this all the time. She'd found an area with sturdy trees not too far from the courtyard and was currently climbing one of the great oaks. Each branch led her to a higher point and not long after she found herself in the top of the tree basking lazily in the sunlight. Her skin seemed to soak up the rays of the sun and when Kili found Merys he could have sworn she was glowing.

"Well this must be a miracle." she said in a singsong voice still with her face turned to the sky, "The younger brother without his older brother stuck to his side." though it was true that it was rare to find one of the brothers without the other near, Kili still scowled a bit when she said it.

"I'm only jesting Kili. I know you're your own person." she continued with a light chuckle. Somehow he couldn't stay mad at her. Her smile seemed to make all his worries disappear and his frowns turn into wicked grins of his own.

"Why don't you come join me?" she said descending onto one of the lower branches. To be truthful Kili wasn't a very good tree climber. Mountains and rocky hillsides were a piece of cake, but the steep trunks of trees and the smoother bark were something else entirely. But he was never one to turn down a challenge so he nodded and stepped up to the base of the tree. With some effort he managed to reach the lowest branch without fail. It would be an easy climb from there on. And so clambering like a squirrel he reached Merys without too much effort, but he wasn't so certain the flexible branch would be able to carry his weight. He sat down and the tree made a soft groan and Merys and Kili looked at each other in shock before smirking. Kili laughed heartily and Merys soon joined in with her lighter though definitely not high-pitched giggles.

"So what brought you here?" she asked after wiping away the tears from her eyes and held onto her stomach. "Where's the rest?"

"They are sparring, but I managed to sneak away when Fili and Thorin were dueling. Didn't really feel like getting my ass handed to me by Dwalin." he admitted, a mischievous twinkle in his dark eyes. This got him another snort of laughter as she playfully tapped him on the arm. "Of course you don't." and with that she lend back against the trunk closing her eyes as of she was planning to take a nap. Her fingers started to comb through her curly dark locks absentmindedly. Kili wondered if perhaps she was actually deep in thought and decided to lean back slightly as well content with the comfortable silence. They sat there for a while, the only sound the chirping of birds and the swaying of the leaves.

"Kili, what are you going to do when you reclaim the moment?" she asked in a soft voice. Kili hummed once in thought before answering. "I haven't really thought of that yet."

"Oh come on that can't be true isn't there some girl you have back in the Blue mountains? Someone you want to spend more time with." she asked with a seemingly innocent tone.

"No not for me. Of course there are some young ladies in Ered Luin, but none that I'm too interested in or they in me really. Why?"

"No reason." she answered a little too quickly sitting up straight and looking at him with a serious face which made him too sit back up again. He wanted to ask her another question, but noticed their faces were so close to each other he could feel her breath. His heart skipped a beat or two as he looked at her soft, curvy lips before he yelped and fell back, off the sturdy branch.

Without taking another breath Merys jumped down after him grabbing his arms with her own and locking onto the lowest branch with her legs and feet. The weight of Kili pulling down at her made her give out a single involuntary yelp before looking down into the face of the young dwarf. His feet were only a little bit of the ground now, but had she not jumped down after him she was sure he would be sporting a broken bone or two.

"Kili," she said with a smirk, "I'm going to let go of you now." Kili's face held a shocked, but also a marveled expression and he could only manage a swift nod before Merys dropped him down onto the ground.

When his boots touched the ground with a muffled thud he gave an expecting look back up with his arms outstretched. She was still hanging from the tree branch of course. Merys could easily reach back up and climb down herself, but chose to humor him and let herself drop down into his awaiting arms with a soft 'oomph'. She looked into his eyes only inches from hers as her own heart this time skipped a beat when she heard the older brother searching for the younger one. The tension broke as Kili set her down with a wicked grin and started walking in Fili's direction who must have seen them as he gave Kili a playful shove.

Later that evening Merys had been in her room when Bilbo asked her if she wanted to join everyone for dinner. She did, but the thoughts that had been plaguing her the hours previous made her shake her head with an apology. Bilbo looked at her, a worries expression his face when he walked off. She didn't know what had come over her. Merys had blurted out the question without thinking back in the tree with Kili. It's not like she had feelings for the mischievous dwarf at least none that she knew of, but she hadn't been able to hold back.

She knew what she had been doing when she'd leant in closer. She didn't mean for him to fall out of the great oak, but that was hardly her fault. With a sigh she fell down and tossed and turned on the sea of pillows and blankets. Deciding she had to cool down she picked up one of the massive covers and a stray pillow and dragged them out to the balcony where she put them down and made a make shift bed. Laying down in the cool summer air cleared her head. She decided she wasn't going to think about it anymore and as long as Kili didn't bring up the subject again she would surely forget the incident ever happened in the first place. She started dazing at the stars in the sky and imagined them as small lanterns that lit the sky in the dark skies. She was just envisioning a castle high up in the sky when a knock came at the door.

"Come in!" she whooped as she turned one of her locks between her fingers. Fili and Ori entered her room and in their hands they held bowls filled with what smelled like stew.

"We thought you might be hungry." Ori said.

"And because you didn't come to the food we thought we'd bring the food to you." Fili finished. They walked in to her room when they finally saw her wrapped in a pearly blanket on the balcony. Fili handed Merys her stew with a wink and she could feel her cheeks darken slightly.

"I asked Kili to join us, but he said he was 'preoccupied' so I doubt he'll be coming here anytime soon." he stated amusement lacing his words as he sat down next to her with his own bowl of stew and Ori sat down on the opposite side of her with his sketchbook and coal in hand careful not to smudge the sheets.

They ate in silence, while Ori was fervently sketching something. What it was she did not know for the girl wasn't sure whether she was allowed to see them, but when Ori looked up at her and saw her watching him he beckoned for her to come over. A slight blush was present on his cheeks as he hesitatingly moved the sketchbook so it was on her lap. She knew what it was like to have someone look at your work when you aren't very confident in it.

Merys knew the feeling. She carved small animals out of wood herself. She never carried them with her and instead gave them to small children she encountered on her travels. And even though they were only children she always felt nervous, afraid they wouldn't like them.

She turned to the first page where there was a drawing of a dinner table chocked full with food. Around it all the dwarfs were present except for Thorin, Gandalf and a flustered Bilbo stood in the corner of the room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time though the hobbit looked at the dwarfs as if they had intruded on his own dinner plans. Merys snickered as she went to the other pages, each one showing another member of the company and sometimes a landscape which he must have drawn while they were on their ponies for the lines were a little less refined, but the end result was breathtaking none the less. Every sketch seemed to be alive and when she reached one that had her in it she had to chuckle. He had drawn her while she was asleep the day she'd met. Her cheek was pressed against the back of the grey wizard and a darker spot could be found on his coat. It was hard for her to imagine it was only two weeks ago they'd met when it felt almost like months. They had told her they had been traveling for some time before they encountered her.

She continued looking at drawings, one of them was of Fili, Kili and her laughing and another was of Bilbo as he smoked his pipe with a satisfied look on his face. She finally reached the page Ori had been working on when he covered it with his hands.

"It's not ready yet!" he rushed out, "I'll show it you when it's finished. Yes?" She nodded before sliding back to her side of the balcony and looked at Fili as he was smoking his pipe before curling into the sheets and laying her head down on the pillow. She gave a content sigh before dozing off.

Merys woke up to the sound of knocking on her door. She yawned rubbing her eyes before stretching with a soft grunt.

"Come in." she said wrapping the sheets around her. Kili entered closing the door after him, but when his eyes reached her he couldn't help but laugh. The warm sound made her smile, but the reason for his amusement was unclear to her until suddenly she understood. She was still lying on the balcony twisted in the bed sheets and her hair was probably a mess. She couldn't believe they had left her to sleep on the balcony for Valar's sake! She got up quickly to get to the bed to hide in the sea of pillows when her feet tangled in the pearly white monstrosity of a blanket and fell face first onto the ground. The marble floor nearly suctioned itself to her face and she could swear that if she had fallen just a little to the right her eye would have been poked out by one of the corners of the bed. Meanwhile Kili only laughed harder as if this had been the most hysterical event to have ever happened. The rumble filling the spacious room.

Merys scowled at him as he came closer and offered her a hand. She took it squeezing it best she could while pulling herself up. Kili's laughter halted as he winced from the massive amount of pressure on his fingers, but the smirk and the twinkle in his eyes remained as he looked at her face before asking if she was alright. Tears had flooded her eyes in a reaction from the force of the blow to her nose and she sniffled before pointing to her the appendage.

"Well we'll have to fix that don't we." he murmured. He lowered his face before giving a light kiss on the tip. Merys froze in shock, her heart beating a million miles an hour. And as if he only then noticed what he had done his face lit up like a tomato. They stuttered apologies as they broke away from each other. And after a particularly loud silence he started shuffling to the door.

"Ah.. I uh… the thing I wanted to tell you earlier!" he suddenly shouted, turning to face her but not looking into her eyes. "Balin asked if he could speak to you." And with that he stormed out of the room as swiftly as he could manage.

* * *

 _Okay so yeah this chapter was longer than the other ones. To be honest this chapter and the next were going to be one chapter so yeah the chapter ended up being over 7,000 words and that's like basically all the previous chapters combined. Also noticed that I am rally bad at indicating time and it probably seems like the journey so far has only lasted a few days. I couldn't have that so envision that prior to this chapter I imagined it in a timespan of about two to three weeks._

 _PS. Please review, follow and/or favourite because I'd really like to know what you think._


	7. Ch 6 Courage

_Disclaimer - I don't own anything other than my OCs._  
 _Okay so here's the next chapter and i hope you enjoy._

* * *

Dunking her face into the basin of cool water she let her nose be soothed by the refreshing liquid. But really it was just an excuse to let her cheeks cool down from the hot blush that had spread through her cheeks after the young prince had kissed her on the nose. Her brains had flooded with too many thoughts and had caused her to be incapable of giving him a witty reply.

She lifted her face from the basin and inhaled a short but deep breath as the water dripped down her neck and onto her shawl. She looked in the mirror hoping the blush would have dissipated a little but her nose still looked just as red as her cheeks. She groaned before deciding that she was just going to have to walk it of, knowing full well that the chances of it actually working were pretty slim. Merys stormed out of her room looking for the other dwarfs and when she asked one of the elves he gave her a funny look before pointing in the direction of the sparring range.

She really hoped Kili wasn't there and that he too was still cooling off somewhere and wouldn't come out of hiding for another while, but fate is cruel and their eyes locked the moment she reached the range. The heat reignited in her again and rose to the surface, but she ignore it and jogged to stand next to the white haired dwarf.

"Master Balin. Kili mentioned you wanted to speak to me?" she spoke in a soft voice trying her best to seem normal.

"Yes miss Merys I do." he said merrily "It has come to my attention that even though you've joined our company, you haven't signed the contract yet."

"A contract master Balin?" she said while her eyebrows furrowed.

"Just a formality really. So if you could join me to somewhere more peaceful so we can go over it."

We walked to one of the smaller courtyards where a solid, marble table stood in the center. And after going over the contract with Balin Merys nodded. She now understood the need for the contract, but one of the clauses didn't sit right with her. She didn't want any of the gold the contract promised if they managed to slay the dragon. The gold wasn't hers to keep and she didn't know for the life of her what she was going to do with it after this quest was over given she never carried much coin.

"Master Balin I don't want any of the gold that lays in the mountain. It is not for me to keep and I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway." she concluded.

"Well lass we'll have to reach it first so why don't we talk about that then." he said with a twinkle in his eyes as she signed. He was just about to walk to range again when she stopped him.

"Master Balin?" he nodded at her to continue so she did, "Why do you think Thorin let me join the company?"

"Well I doubt he wanted you to in the beginning but I suppose Gandalf convinced him otherwise. I'm certain though that he appreciates you being there when you save his dear nephew. Though he might not show it much." he said the last part with a smile as he stalked of leaving Merys with more food for thought.

The rest of the day followed with her avoiding Kili though this time joining everyone for dinner. She didn't sit next to him though as she usually did this time opting to sit with Bofur. She joined him when he sung the songs she knew, mostly the ones she heard in the taverns and inns. She sang one on her one though since nobody knew the song and apparently appreciated the sound of her voice. It wasn't something that would catch the ears of the gods, but it was earnest, pure and it seemed to sooth the soul.

The air seemed stifling the next day, the sun beamed down heavily on Merys. The wind was scarce and when it did blow it was warm and only left her feeling more aggravated then before. And the worst of all was that the elves were completely unaffected. She carried no ill intent for them, but she had to admit to having an ugly thought directed at the tall beings once or twice.

As she wandered the grounds near the courtyard she came across a stream that went down a slight slope which led to a pond with near completely translucent water that made it possible for her to see to the pebble covered bottom. A brilliant idea if she said so herself crossed her mind and she speeded back to the courtyard and asked one of the guards if there was a rope she could borrow. The elf looked at her for a moment his serious façade breaking for a moment before he ordered another to help her. At least that was what she thought for the conversation between them was in Sindarin, but the other returned not much later with the promised rope.

She dragged the heavy, threaded cable up one of the large sturdy trees before tying it to a particularly thick branch and slid down the rope. Once back on the ground she tested its strength by giving it a sharp tug with her abnormal strength before stripping of her clothing until she was in her shorter breaches and her top which was basically two shawls wrapped around her upper torso. Taking ahold of the rope she took several steps back before running in the opposite direction and leaping into the cool water, going down completely before coming back up and shaking the water out of her hair. The water was refreshing as it washed off the sweat that had already dried on her skin. She let out a loud whoop before turning on to her back to float aimlessly.

Unbeknownst to her the younger dwarfs excluding Ori had sneaked up on her and had grabbed ahold of the rope. She only heard a soft swooshing sound before she got doused by the huge wave that was caused by cannonball Kili followed by a similar one caused by Fili. She sputtered out the pond water and turned to glare at the brothers, but she couldn't hold back the fit of laughter at their appearances. The water had caused their haired to become entangled in their faces. Fili especially as the braids of his moustache were completely tied to the rest of his hair and it appeared that he had a hard time getting them separated.

"Laugh all you want for I can't promise that I won't get you back some time." he muttered as he waded back to the edge of the water where he got out.

"Ah come on Fili don't be such a grouch. You've only just gotten in." Merys said with a smirk. At which Fili only grunted and proceeded to try and disentangle all the knots that seemed to only get worse the more he tried. He angrily strutted of grabbing the rest of his clothing as he was only in his breaches. Merys and Kili laughed at the older brother's moping posture as he passed the tree line that hid the pond from view.

While Merys was still holding her stomach in glee Kili had sneaked up on her and was just a feet away from her when he pulled her under. Merys in turn held onto Kili and dragged him under with her. When they both resurfaced she splashed with water before she swatted his bare arm.

"Want to wager me on something?" she said her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Maybe." he said with a grin plastered on his face "What do you want to bet on?"

"I bet that I can lift you with one arm for 5 gold pieces." she didn't have that kind of money really but she had no intention to lose this bet. Kili laughed "And what do you get if you can?"

"A favor." she simply said.

"Give it you best shot." he said said clearly forgotten that they were in the water as she swam to the bottom put her feet on the floor and grabbed ahold of his legs with her left arm before lifting him up out of the water.

"That's not fair!" he sputtered as she came back up.

She shook her head, "A wager is a wager can't go back on your word. So now you owe me a favor."

Kili shook his head in return before he grabbed ahold of her bare waist trying not to think too much about the soft skin that covered her muscular abdomen and slung her over his shoulder as he waded to the edge of the pond.

"Kili stop! What are you doing?" she yelped while laughing. Her hands lay on the rippling muscles on his back and she scratched him trying in vain to get off.

"Payback! And no scratching." he laughed. The deep rumble inside his chest caused Goosebumps to form on her skin.

Kili grabbed the rope and took several steps back. She shrieked as Kili slung them both off the rope and into the water. The splash that was created by the weight of the both of them splattered onto nearby trees and shrubbery. They both laughed as their foreheads touched when they resurfaced. They stayed like that for a while before opening their eyes. The smiles still on their face as they stared in each others eyes. They both moved toward each other. Merys' lips parted slightly as her lips touched his. It was awfully soft as neither dared to do anything else. Her eyes were closed and as Kili lowered her to press her to his body she opened them again to look in his chocolate brown eyes and she let out a soft sigh. Suddenly the fact that she had just kissed the young dwarf dawned on her. She didn't regret it, not in the least, but her heart was beating at an incredible pace. Almost seeming to leap out of her chest all together.

The spell broke as they heard a branch snap. Merys and Kili turned their heads at the noise and the young woman leaped out of Kili's grasp and moved with incredible speed as she made her way to land. Hurriedly she picked up her tunic and other shawls and ran with all her might past a baffled Bofur. She heard him yell something after her but she was already to far away to make out the words.

She skidded past corners as she raced over the smooth marble floors with still wet feet on her way to her chambers. When she finally reached them she snaked through the door and slammed it shut behind her back. Slowly she slid down the heavy wooden door, her face buried in her shawl as she desperately tried to straighten out her thoughts. She had no idea what had come over her. It was as if they were being pulled together like magnets. Thought the kiss had been not much more than a peck, Merys could still feel her face heat up when thinking back on how his lips had felt. Soft, smooth and warm. She shook her head trying to rid herself of these thoughts like the droplets of water that flew from her hair and onto the pristine walls. She stripped herself of the wet clothing and lay them on the back of her chair and swiveled the bed sheets around herself until she looked like a cocoon and dropped herself on the many pillows. Even though it was only a little before dinner she decided it was probably best to go to sleep so she closed her eyes and despite her heart hammering against her chest, fell asleep.

The night passed by and in the morning of the next day Kili stopped her on her way to breakfast to talk. They sat in an uncomfortable silence. Merys wasn't yet ready to speak about what had happened and Kili was still gathering words. He had tried to speak several times but he always stopped himself before even broaching the subject. After several minutes of him furrowing his brows and pursing his lips he finally finished his sentence.

"I believe that I fancy you." the bluntness of his statement left Merys in shock. She couldn't utter the words she had practiced all morning. Of what had happened was a mistake and that it was her fault. She never expected for him to say this, so she just sat there next to him her mouth moving like that of a fish out of water.

"And even though we haven't known each other for very long I was hoping you felt the same way about me." he continued. He seemed so sure of his words, but Merys wasn't certain she felt the same he did. She had this weird tingling feeling in her stomach when he'd laugh, she absolutely adored his laugh but it was a feeling that was foreign to her. Never before had she felt the way she did and unsure of whether this was really love she hesitated a moment before she said, "I appreciate your feelings Kili for I know I don't deserve them," Kili was about to interrupt but she stopped him before continuing, "but I cannot give you an answer right now, I need to think but I promise you I will give you one when I find the answer." she said the last part while putting her hand on top of his. He nodded, though he did seem a little sad at her answer. He stood as he offered her a hand. They joined the others for breakfast and Bofur shot them a knowing grin from the other side of the table. Merys shook her head as she chuckled, but meanwhile her thoughts were disorganized even after all the time she had spent the night before on righting them.

The girl spent the rest of the day with Bilbo, they talked of the hobbit's home back in the Shire while they wandered the grounds. Merys promised she'd visit him when this journey was over and the hobbit happily agreed to her offer. The hobbit liked Merys, less rowdy than most of the rest of the company but still up for a laugh that when with Bilbo never was at someone else's expense. She was sweet and she smiled a lot. Her curly hair and her love for food reminded him of home, but they separated a little before dinner sa she said she had some things to consider. 'What' he did not know but he knew better than to bother her about it as she seemed to be too lost in thought to tell him anyway.

After dinner the dwarfs decided the fountain in the courtyard would be an excellent place to take a bath. Merys not wanting in to be part of that type of thing after what happened the day before she decided she'd ask Lindir if she could tend to one of the horses before returning to her chambers. Lindir was happy to oblige for he liked the young woman much better than the rest of the company (for obvious reasons) and on their way to the stables they engaged in some small talk before saying goodbyes after he assigned one of the horses to her. It was a smaller mare with a lovely sandy coat and dark manes. A very gentle horse Merys decided as she brushed it's coat until it was soft and shiny before braiding her manes in an intricate pattern. She had to stand on a wooden crate to be able to reach the animal's neck though. A woman with dark hair like herself had taught her to weave hair like that once.

She had been born only days before and was lost and hungry. Without any family to teach her how to survive. She'd been doomed. The woman was an adversary as she had called herself. Teaching the girl how to hunt, forest and many more and when they were siting around the fire at night she taught her how to braid her hair. Beginning with simpler braids, advancing to the ones more complicated soon after and teaching her their meanings.

The one she was making now was for courage. Not really for the pretty mare, but more for herself. They were probably going to leave again in a few days and the thought of it frightened her. Scared of losing herself like that again. Of feeling the rage take over. Of tainting her hands with blood. But also of speaking her feelings to Kili.

"We are cooking some more dinner and I.. We were wondering if you wanted to come join us?" shocked out of her thoughts Merys turned to find Kili standing at the edge of the stable.

"Oh, it's just you Kili." she murmured turning back to the mare.

"You wound me my lady!" He said grabbing at his heart in mock hurt. Merys turned to him a wry smile on her face at the attempt he made to cheer her up. His face turned serious at that and he stared at her face when he said, "I get scared too sometimes you know," I looked at him with a baffled expression at his knowing of what was bugging her. Kili looked away before continuing. "for example when I see that my brother is in danger. Scared that I'll lose him." He turned to her again, "You know, you probably should have put that braid in you own hair not in the hair of this lovely lady." he said with a smile on his lips.

"I would, but whenever I use my own hair I make mistakes." she replied looking down at her boots her mouth pulled to a tight line. Somehow Kili had gotten closer and when she felt his hand underneath her chin she took in a sharp breath, her cheeks heating up slightly. Her heart beating just a little bit faster.

"I could braid it for you ." he whispered, "I mean it won't be as good as yours obviously, but I can try." his hand had lowered and was hanging by his side again, but he was still close. Merys knew of course what it meant to braid someone's hair to dwarfs, but those were special braids. They had been spending more time together in the few days they had stayed in Rivendell and she had to admit that her heart sometimes skipped a beat when he'd give her one of his wicked grins. But to do something like this might take things too far. Even more so as she hadn't given him an answer yet. Besides there was no way Thorin would agree to any sort of courtship between the two. But the mischievous part of her wanted to let Kili braid her hair.

"How about you watch me when I braid my hair and tell when I make a mistake?" she finally said which seemed to disappoint him. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. This seemed to lift his spirits as he nodded albeit with a bit of a dour expression. "Alright."

"Can you part it for me Kili?" she said handing him a comb she produced from one of the many shawls she continued to wear. He raked his fingers through her hair a few times before using the comb and parting the strands slightly of to the side of her head. Her hands moved swiftly as her hands moved to create the intricate pattern she'd made on Billiel the mare before. Kili moved his hands from time to time to fix any of the mistakes she made and not long after the braid ran tightly along her scalp on the right side of her head revealing her pointed ear and the rings that adorned them. Whilst the left side was still loose and the wild curls bounced as she turned to face him.

"There. All done." she said tying of the end with a strip of leather before smiling up at Kili.

"Come on let's go." he said as he laced his fingers with hers. The sky in the mean time had turned shade of red and orange hues and was quickly turning darker and darker. When they finally arrived at the quarters of the dwarfs the sky was coloured a dark blue.

Just as they entered they heard a loud crash as Bombur slammed to the ground shrieking. The table he was sitting on had given away to his weight and that of sausage Bofur had thrown at him. Everyone hollered with laughter and she could see Bofur roll over with glee. Everyone was sitting in their long johns but it wasn't anything new to Merys as they'd been wearing the same on the day they'd encountered the trolls. They'd been turning on the spit roast at the what she now mockingly called the troll dinner party even though it had been anything but fun.

"Bofur pass me one of those sausages!" She said as they all had finished laughing.

"Sure thing, lass!" his face still red due to lack of air of the moments before. They'd done this near every night as they hardly ate anything at dinner and merely accompanied Merys as she ate. They mostly just drank ale and smoked their pipes as she stuffed herself with the leafy greens.

She was leaning on Kili as she ate the juicy, but slightly charred meat, when the door burst open. In walked Thorin his face set into a frown as he told them to start packing and that we'd be leaving before dawn. Merys turned to Kili her face set in a frown as she reached for his hand squeezed it and let go to gather her belongings in the room next to them. She raced to grab all of the trinkets she had gathered in the valley. Herbs, minerals and roots that were safely wrapped up in a shawl. Merys took off the sleeveless cloak like shawl she always wore. Before tightly binding them to her torso together with her hunting knife. It was really the easiest way to carry any luggage as it didn't require her to wear a pack. The waterskin she bound to her back before donning her cloak again. The clothing she'd received from the elves seemed to look at her from the small bench at the foot of her bed. They were taunting her. When she wore them she felt as if she was special and she could forget all the painful things. It was extra weight she could do without, but in a moment of weakness she tightly bound it over her hunting knife hoping she wouldn't be needing it if they got attacked.

* * *

 _So I received my very first review and I was really excited so thank you CamillaLangdon for taking the time to write one._

 _And if you think my fic is worth it please follow/favourite and review._


	8. Ch 7 Goblin town

_Disclaimer - I don't own the hobbit. I only own my OC's._

 _Another long-ish chapter. Sorry for the corny ending, but I really needed to end it there_

* * *

As they entered the Wild, the terrain became rougher and the distance they could travel became less and less over time though the pace stayed the same and they'd even increased the amount of daylight they used to climb the mountainous terrain. Everyone was slowly but surely becoming more fatigued and the weather wasn't particularly helping. Sometimes the bone chilling rain would pour down on them for hours and at others the sun would drain their bodies of moisture leaving them exhausted and with headache at the end of the day. Merys constantly covered her head with her shawls, either against the rain or the blistering sun.

Today especially she was grateful for her head covering as the hot air swirled around her reminding her of the sweltering breeze of the desserts of Harad. The dwarrow however weren't quite as lucky when it came to their attire. All their coats were stuffed with fur and lined with leather and though that may have helped them against the bone chilling winters and the skin cutting winds of the mountains it now weighed them down immensely. Their breaths came out as laboured puffs and with the amount of sweat that rolled down their foreheads you could fill a lake. Thorin noticed his company's struggles and ordered a stop near the stream that had been running down the path they took. It would be foolish to stray from it in the weathers current condition.

With appreciative sighs the company sat down in the shadow as they did everything to cool down, some even went as far as to empty their waterskins over their heads. Merys shook her head as her own sweat rolled down her face. Picking up the empty skins she made her way over to the cool stream and refilled them. She had offered her scarves to anyone who'd want one, but all of them had refused. Merys cursed under her breath at their stubbornness, but this time she wouldn't take no for an answer as she doused more than a dozen of scarves leaving her in her breaches and the cloth that wrapped around her chest. Angrily she trotted back to the covering and ordered all of them to strip down to their breeches. The girl started tapping her foot at their confused looks. Luckily the young brothers seemed to get the message as they followed her order, but the others were reluctant to do so.

"NOW!" Inside her something had snapped and she could no longer hold back the annoyance in her voice when she practically shrieked the words. It appeared to have some affect though as the dwarfs rushed to follow her orders even the king under the mountain himself. Merys calmed down, but she did feel somewhat victorious when she heard the shocked yelps as she slapped the water soaked scarves in their faces. When she reached Bilbo however he seemed to cringe before relaxing as she handed the hobbit her last one with a reassuring smile on her face which he gratefully returned. Still smiling she walked of to the river again, but not before giving the others a warning with a tad bit wicked smile.

"You better have washed those when I return."

She lowered her legs into the refreshing water before cupping some of it in her hands and pouring it over her head. How it could be so antagonizingly hot even though Autumn was almost upon them was beyond her.  
"Hey." she turned to see Kili standing with her blue shawl in his hand. She smiled and petted the piece of pebble covered ground next to her urging for him to sit.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone move them so quickly." he said with a chuckle, "I doubt even my mother would have trouble doing so and my mother is a tough one."

"Hmm, I believe I have scarred them for life then." which caused them both to snort with laughter.

Leaning into Kili's muscular shoulder she began to hum as he scrubbed her scarf using the rounded pebbles and when they finally returned the sun was setting and all her shawls were returned to her clean and dried with muttered thanks.

When the sun finally set the air became more cool and the fire was lit. They all gathered around the bonfire sitting on logs and their bed rolls.

"Pass me some of those berries why won't you lass." Bofur asked Merys as he sat down next to her. They had found the berries in one of the prickly shrubs along the stream and she had gone out of her way to grab a whole lot of them, but ended up scratched on every surface that hadn't been covered. The scratches stung but had healed in no time so the dwarfs hadn't known of the trouble she had gone through to get them. She begrudgingly rolled some onto Bofur's hand, reluctant to share the sour-sweet red things.

"Thanks lass." he said with a wink.

The company was telling stories of their homes in the blue mountains, but Merys was sulking for her lost berries and didn't pay as much attention as she normally would. When her name was called she didn't even notice until someone threw a burned piece of hare meat at her.

"Hey! What did you do that for." she yelped. As she tried to detect the culprit.

" We were just thinking that we don't really know much about you really. Thought maybe you could tell us a little something about yourself." Balin said and it dawned on her that she hadn't really told them anything other than her name.

"Well , uh what do you want to know?" None of the other people she ever met on her travels bothered to ask about her past so she was a bit unsure of where to start.

"How about you tell us where you're from." Ori said with a smile looking up from his journal for moment before going back to it.

"The first memory I have is of the day I woke up as a child near the sea of Rhun, in Dorwinion. I don't know where I was before that so I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. After that I started exploring Middle Earth though I have to admit I have never seen the Lonely mountain before as I have traveled mainly South." she gave an awkward chuckle at the looks of the company.

"Wait you're telling me you've been alone since you were a child?!" Dori, always the mother hen of the company asked with an exasperated look about his face. I started to nod before I remembered I hadn't been entirely alone, in the beginning at least. "Well not really at first Tári took care of me and taught me things. She told me she was an adversary of the Valar, but I don't know whether she spoke the truth or not." And another awkward squeak escaped her throat. She didn't know why, but she felt embarrassed talking about this and unsure of whether they would actually believe her. Even the girl could tell that what she had told them sounded like a tall tale.

"So you really don't remember anything before all that?" Bilbo asked at which she shook her head.

"Well, thank Mahal you're still here now." Balin said with a pleasant smile as the others agreed and Merys felt the breath she'd unknowingly been holding leave her lips.

No one could have expected that that day would be the last warm one and maybe if they did they'd would have appreciated it more. The next month and a half was filled with blurry, rumbling skies that left them soaked no matter the time of day. The company was starting to get agitated and sadly Merys too was starting to dread coming along on this journey. That morning she had snapped at Bilbo when he complained about the weather, but the look he gave her made her regret it instantly and she hadn't found the time yet to apologise for her thoughtless remark. The feeling was eating away at her heart and even Kili's hand on her shoulder couldn't numb the pain. Thorin's suspicious glances to the casual way Kili touched her had the girl worried though no progression was made in their relationship after Rivendell. The moody weather and the gloomy company left them in no mood to talk or get to know each other better. Merys looked away from the King's inquisitive gaze when thunder struck. Rain started pouring down even harder on the already treacherous mountain path and it was getting hard for Merys to stay steady on her bare feet. And it seemed she wasn't the only one for moments later she saw the hobbit's feet slip before being pushed to the mountain's wall.  
"We must find shelter." Thorin roared over the sound of the rain. And for once she couldn't agree with him more. Dwalin's warning reached her ears and her head snapped in the direction of the large boulder that was hurled their way. Merys shoved Kili and Fili against the rock wall preventing them from being crushed by the crushed stone that fell from above.

"This is no thunder storm," Balin shouted, "tis a thunder battle." And he was right. An immense humanoid stone figure rose from the side of the mountain and ripped a large chunk from the rock before he hurled it far behind them. To their surprise another giant stood there hit by the large slab which send him tumbling, causing more rubble to fall down nearly crushing their burglar.

But Merys had other things on her mind such as the ledge she stood on herself. The ground shook and tore apart and she had no other choice as to be pulled back by Fili to prevent her from plunging to the deep depths below. They all reached for one another but it was too late, they were already too far apart and jumping would surely be their death. So she let Fili usher her to Bofur who firmly held her to him to keep her safe. Her mind was reeling, telling her to help the others as they swung away from view. But there was nothing she could do except hold onto the wall for dear life as the head of their giant tumbled down and his knee was moments away from crushing into the mountain with them on it. Merys was certain this would be her death as the jagged edges of the rock took up all of he vision and her heart stopped as she heard the crash. She was certain she'd heard Thorin yelling Fili's name seconds after the stone giant fell to the depths below and relieve flooded through her. Her relief was short-lived however as she saw Bilbo's hand slipping on the wet ledge and before she knew it she flung herself forward holding on to his wrist in a death-grip. She gritted her teeth as she herself slipped of the edge and was hanging onto the ledge for life. She could faintly make out Bofur asking where Bilbo was and it took everything in her to give a loud grunt. The hobbit was terribly heavy and she thanked the Valar when Ori and Bofur grabbed ahold of her own wrist. She could make out Thorin as he jumped down the ledge himself and together they pushed the hobbit to safety. Ori pulled her up next and Merys couldn't help hugging him for a brief moment before grabbing ahold of Kili and burying her face into his wet coat and inhaled his scent. Leather and wood drowned out by the smell of wet dog, but she didn't mind as she was sure she didn't smell much different.

She didn't budge as Kili lifted her of her feet and carried her of into the cave Thorin decided they'd stay for the night. She didn't complain when Kili sat them both down on the cold ground and pulled her into his coat. She no longer cared if anyone saw them together. Not that anyone would though as adrenaline was replaced by fatigue and they all made themselves comfortable, as much as they could anyway and went to sleep. Bofur stood watch but Merys had no doubt the optimistic dwarf already knew about the way the young felt about each other and she knew he wasn't the type to ruin someone's party. She wrapped one of her dryer scarfs until it wrapped her face covering everything except her eyes before she too fell asleep nuzzling Kili's chest.

She was violently shook away a mere moment before feeling her stomach rise in her chest as they plummeted through the trapdoors and into a shaft that bended and twisted as they slid even further down. The landing into the crudely build cage was a harsh one as everyone landed in a pile topped by the massive form of Bombur and Merys wheezed as it knocked the air out of her. She could hear the squawking noises of the foul creatures that hurried over to the where the company lay. The young woman grimaced as their filthy paws shoved her and the rest of the company to move them down the path of rickety rope bridges and unsafe passes. When one particular bold one grabbed at her side she grabbed his arm and flung him of path and into the dark pits that surrounded them. She sputtered as the blunt end of a sword met her stomach though she wasn't given the time to recover as she was urged to move forward. She stumbled along, her feet chafing along the harsh wood of the bridges. When they finally stopped they found themselves in the company of one of the most revolting creatures Merys had ever seen and Bofur's hand that pulled her to the center of their group was the only thing that kept her from retching.

The Goblin King. A grotesque being covered in boils and rashes, accompanied by an obese body. But it wasn't really his gruesome body that appalled her it was his terrible song that every single goblin seemingly knew as they all sung along. When his singing finally ceased Merys let out a sigh of relief.

"Catchy isn't it? It is one of my own compositions." the massive goblin stated.

"That's not a song! That's an abomination!" Balin countered.

"Abominations! Mutations! Deviations! That's all you're gonna find down here." And as if on an unspoken cue the other goblins pried the weapons out of the hands of the company. And Merys thought it impossible at which the humongous King moved of his throne and roared,

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? ASSASSINS?" Merys winced at the shrill tone of his voice and slapped her hands over her ears, when the crawling creatures searched their bodies. Swatting at the gnarled hands of any of them that dared get close enough prevented them from finding out about her hunting knife, the only thing she still possessed other than some herbs.

"What are you doing in these parts?" the king inquired, but he was met by silence. "SPEAK!" and again no one spoke up. "Very well. I they won't speak we'll make them squawk. Bring up the Mangler, bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." he said pointing at Ori causing Merys to stiffen.

"Wait!" Merys turned at the authoritive voice of their leader and thanked the Valar.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain. " the goblin king said with an exaggerated bow to Thorin before continuing.

"Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg."

Merys heard the disbelief in Thorin's voice as he stated that Azog the Defiler was dead. Slain in battle.

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" the Great Goblin taunted.

The smaller goblins examined the swords when one of them yelped and threw down Orcrist and the Great Goblin scrambled back to his throne.

"I know that sword. It's the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks! Slash them!"

Goblins clambered over the company, biting, slashing and poking. Merys flung them of her and scratched at their thick hides and ugly faces when the brightest light she'd ever seen hit them all. Relief filled her when she heard the voice of Gandalf after two agonizing months. "Fight!" She scrambled to her feet and just as ordered started slashing away at bodies again.

"Follow me. Quick." and so she did. The young woman didn't know why but for some reason she felt a connection to Gandalf, but she hadn't yet figured out why, so until then she'd follow his orders and do as he said.

Everyone slashed their ways through the oncoming goblins. Merys could feel their bones crunching as she ripped of their skinny limbs whenever she could. And once again she could feel the darkness flowing though her body. The burning sensation moved her to crush the foul creatures. Some part in the back of her head was appalled at the way she was acting right now, but another told her to continue if she wanted the ones she had come to care about so much to stay safe. And she did, so the brunette scratched and ripped and ran down the ramshackle walk-ways at record speed only stopping to help the others. The scenery flashed by her when suddenly the Great goblin king broke through the bridge they were about to cross, sending splinters and floorboards in every direction.

"You thought you could escape me." he rumbled before slamming his scepter down where Gandalf stood only moments before. "What are you going to do now, wizard?" Merys tried to make her way to the front, but didn't get very far when Gandalf poked the goblin in the eye and slashed Glamdring across his boil and grease covered belly. The massive goblin sunk to his knees, "That would do it." he said looking the wizard in the eye as the grey pilgrim cut his throat causing the gargantuan body to collapse. The weight shook the scaffolding before they gave out and the entire thing came down with the pull of gravity. Once again their stomachs rose to their throats as they began their descent whilst they let out an involuntary scream here and there. Merys really thought this would be her death, but the sides of the platform caught on the walls on both sides and lowered them on the ground with a rather hard thud. During the drop she had closed her eyes, but she opened them at the sound of Bofur's voice.

"Well that could have been worse." and just then she knew he had jinxed them all as the goblin king's body crushed the remains of the platform.

"You've got to be joking!" she heard Dwalin say, and she wished it was as she maneuvered her legs out of the wreckage. Just as she was about to reach for Kili she followed his frightened gaze up. A throng of goblin's was slithering down the walls toward the bottom.

"GANDALF!"

"There's too many. We can't fight them." Dwalin spoke looking at Gandalf for a solution.

"Only one thing can safe us: daylight! Come on! Here! On your feet!" and once again they were running for safety.

Once the sun's rays hit her face a ways from the passage out of Goblin town Merys finally let her heart finally calm down.

"Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf asked and once again her heart was starting to race out of worry for her friend whom she still had not apologised to. "Where's our hobbit? Where's our hobbit?" Gandalf asked again gaining the rest of the company's attention. Merys was already frantically searching for the only one in the company that was shorter than herself. But something wasn't right, it felt like he was already here watching and when she heard Thorin's comment about the hobbit's longing for home she cringed. She knew the hobbit was here somewhere she was certain. She looked back to the mountain and there he was.

"No, he isn't." stepping behind from a tree she threw a look at Gandalf in relief and the wizard did the same. When Bilbo told the company about his escape Merys knew something wasn't right. The way his hands fiddled around with something in his pockets, as if he was hiding something. At the words Thorin spoke next she turned to look at the dwarf king.  
"I want to know: Why did you come back?" She knew Bilbo longed for his home as he had often spoken about it the last month. And though she couldn't empathise with him for she had never had a place she could call home before, she did care for him and wanted him to be happy. It seemed that he'd appreciated it her love as he'd even offered her a place in his home when their journey was finished and she'd graciously accepted.

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." The young travelers heart panged at the hobbit's words. Despite his ever ongoing complaining he'd had grown to shown more compassion to the dwarves that nearly broke down his house months ago. She smiled at him proudly.

But their moment of peace was broken when the cries of wargs sounded close by.

"Out of the frying pan…" Thorin muttered under his breath.

"And into the fire. Run. RUN!" Gandalf followed up.

* * *

 _Aaah this seems so cliché. All the fanfictions I've read ended at this part too, but the chapter was already getting so long and I just had to end it somewhere, I'm so sorry._


	9. Ch 8 Flaming Pinecones

_Disclaimer - I do not own the Hobbit or any of its characters. I only own my OCs._

* * *

Running for you life was starting to get really old, Merys thought to herself as she careened past boulders and pine trees. But it seemed that they had run into a dead end as the edge of a cliff came into view. The only way they could go now was up, so she tugged on the wizards cloak before pointing upwards.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb." he ordered the company with a nod of the head to Merys.

With the help of Fili she practically flew up onto the nearest branch before she reached down to pull the brothers up as well. She cringed when she saw Bombur hanging on to the thin branch a few feet away and moved over to drag him higher up into the tree as she was certain it couldn't hold the weight of the massive dwarf much longer.

They had just reached the top part of the trees when the were completely surrounded. She stared at the ground when she caught sight of the white warg and its rider. The orc's face was horribly scarred and his left arm was replaced with a peculiar metal rod. There was no doubt that this was Azog the Defiler and she could see the look on Thorin's face when he recognised the scarred orc. Merys knew Thorin believed the pale orc to be dead and she felt for him as the look of horror set on his features. She could hear his name being said in black speech and some more was said which no doubt was an order to attack. Wargs were jostling the tree with their massive paws as they crashed into the bark leaving marks. After a particular violent shake caused by one of the grotesque creatures a high pitched shriek could be heard from who she assumed was Fili as she saw him smack into a tree branch and had their lives not been in danger she probably would have left. The wargs had continued to charge the base of the pine and she reached for Kili, when one of the foul creatures nearly ripped her foot off with its yellow teeth. Holding onto his warm, calloused hand she pulled herself up even higher than she already was when she felt the tree start to tip. The creaking of the roots caused her to look down and she knew for certain it wouldn't last much longer. She warned the dwarfs of their oncoming predicament and sure to her word the roots snapped and the pine toppled over onto the next.

They leaped to the next but it too was already starting to fall and it wasn't long before there was only one left. There was nowhere else to go and Merys looked at Gandalf for a solution, which came in the form of a burning pinecone. The fire caught easily on the dry shrubbery at their feet, making the wargs move back. As the fire had effectively created a barrier between the orc pack and the company they cheered and laughed not knowing that the danger hadn't subsided yet. The foreboding sound of roots snapping stiffled their cheers and left them clinging on for dear life as the wood now hang precariously over the cliff side. Ori slipped and she heard his scream as he wrapped his around his brother's leg. Merys leaped at Dori as his arms began to slip to and just barely managed to grab onto his hands with help of Gandalf. She now hung up side down with her legs wrapped around the rough bark of the sturdy branch. Her abs seemed to burn with the added weight of the two dwarves as she desperately tried to hold on to Dori's gloved hands, but they were starting to slip.

She could faintly here the gasps of the company and she turned her head just in time to see Thorin get knocked down by the pale orc. Another Orc raised his sword over Thorin's neck and Merys closed her eyes. She couldn't bare to see the King under the mountain die, but when the orc screeched she turned to see the red flash of Bilbo's jacket. The others soon joined in the fray, but the slipping grasp on Dori's hand left her in place. Screaming she felt her tired fingers slip and she was about to jump after them when she saw the eagles and she left out a relieved sigh. When she saw the others on the backs of the eagles she too let herself drop to land on the broad back of the winged creature. The air she had left escaped her lungs as her ribcage contracted during her landing. Grabbing ahold of the base of ones of the massive wings she started scanning the air for the rest of her company. And surely all of them were there, though some more hurt than others she knew as she saw the limp form of Thorin Oakenshield being held in the large talons of one of the birds, his arm dangling in the air as it was left unsupported.

Worry washed over her. It was true that the blue eyed dwarf was rather hard to get along with and had been quite annoyed at her presence in the company several times despite the fact that she pulled her weight around just as much as any other member including Bilbo. But he was the uncle of the dwarf that she was starting to become more important to her with every passing day and she wouldn't be able to stand the thought of him being anything other than happy. So when after a full night's flight they finally landed on a peculiar rock formation she couldn't stop her body from moving over to the dwarf king to see if he was in fact still alive and breathing. Trying to suppress the dark inky emotion of anger and the need to protect over her she peered around the shoulders of the dwarfs as best as she could.

Holding her breath she watched as Gandalf sat by Thorin's side muttering something and when the dwarf sputtered to life she let the air rush out her lungs and with it the shadow that lay over her moved away. When the king under the mountain asked where the hobbit was, Dwalin and Fili pulled him to his feet.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us? I've never been so wrong in all my life!"

Merys flinched at the words directed at Bilbo, but a warmth settled over her heart when he pulled the hobbit into his arms.

"I am sorry I doubted you." Thorin said, his voice but a whisper.

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar." Gandalf gave a silent chuckle at last part, but Thorin seemed to be more focused on what was behind Bilbo. His eyes transfixed. Merys and Bilbo turned to seen what had caught his attention.

"Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth."

"Our home." Thorin murmured.

Merys didn't know what to think of the large rock that lay before her. To her it looked like just any other mountain, but it was obvious the dwarfs didn't share that opinion as happy chatter soon followed Thorin's remark. The girl went to sit on one of the rocks a little away from the company. She could hear them talking, but she was too tired to really listen as fatigue caught up to her. Other than the brief nap she'd had in the cave before the goblin attack she hadn't really slept for over two days and she was about ready to collapse. When Gandalf came to sit next to her. she acknowledged his presence with a nod of the head, but continued to sit with her head rested on her palms and her eyes closed. She didn't mind him being there for some reason. It was as if she'd known him for longer than the few weeks they'd traveled together, but there was no way for that to be possible. She was broken from her thoughts when he spoke.

"How have you been faring in the time I've been away, my child?" She had to think for a little before answering him. He hadn't really been thinking much about herself lately, always worrying about the hard-headed dwarfs and the homesick hobbit she travelled with.

When Gandalf scraped his throat to gain back her attention she turned to him and looked at his wrinkled face before speaking.

"Besides the running for my life and trying to keep this bull-headed lot safe, I'm faring relatively well." she said with a wry smile plastered on my face. "I see no gain in complaining. It doesn't change a thing after all." She turned to lean her short frame on the outcropping with a wince as her sore body protested. No super natural healing could numb the pain of healing muscle tissue after all.

The grey wizard was becoming worried for the girl though. It was obvious the need to protect had caused the darkness to overcome her and there was left little space for her usual youthful excitement. He hoped her spirits would be lifted on their next stop a days worth of travel from the Carrock. He reached for her shoulder and gave it a pat before joining the others again leaving her with the young dwarf that stood near them waiting for an opportunity to talk in private.

Kili sat down next to her, pulled her into his arms and laid his chin on the top of her head. They done this for a while now, just finding comfort in their closeness without ever going any further than a hug or a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm glad nobody got injured too badly." she murmured into his chest, but he only gave a slight hum in reply. He looked at her and saw the dark circles under her eyes and her beautiful dark skin looked slightly paler.

"Sleep." he ordered her turning her so she lay on his lap and leaned against his chest. She stared at him in confusion.

"We're going to leave the Carrock as soon as Oin has fixed uncle's bandages. I'll wake you when it's time, so sleep."

She moved to snuggle him more, "Thank you, Kili." she murmured as sleep washed over her.

When she woke the sun stood high in the sky and it seemed that they were ready to start the climb down from Carrock. They'd already decided they weren't going to rest until sundown so to put as much time between them and the orcpack following them. And though Merys knew the importance of staying far ahead of the foul creatures but her body still protested as she stood and extended a hand to Kili who gratefully took it. Soon after they were on their way.

The climb was tiresome and long and when they finally reached ground the sun was already on it's way to setting. And though he was reluctant to set up camp so soon he couldn't ignore the injuries of his company and his own. So they made to set up camp with whatever they still had left which wasn't much as they had been robbed of nearly everything they had, back in the goblin tunnels. A fire was made and the pheasant Kili had shot on their way down the Carrock was plucked and cooked on the roast that hung above it. The herbs Bombur had stuffed in it spread through the meat and was happily received when the bird was torn the strips and distributed among the company.

They soon lay on the ground, some with their heads on the odd log or two. The ground was damp and uncomfortable but they were still taken by sleep fast as the fatigue of the previous days caught up to them. Merys stood watch with Fili as they were the only ones that could manage to stay awake at the moment. They sat back to back as they spoke in hushed voices.

"What do you think Erebor looks like?" Merys asked the blonde. There was a silence before he answered.

"Mother told us stories of grand halls and tunnels going deep into the mountain. Granite carved into wonderful shapes. Piles of gold an treasure some of them reaching as high as the ceiling." he stared at the edge of the clearing, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

She thought on this before remembering Bilbo's offer to her, surely Thorin wouldn't propose for her to stay in the mountain and she knew he definitely wouldn't agree of the relationship she had with his youngest nephew as she had noticed they were both like sons to him. She wanted Kili to be happy and the more time passed the more she started to wonder whether he would be with her. She wasn't a dwarf even if she shared their short and muscular stature. And even if his uncle did approve their courting (which was very unlikely) she had no idea whether his mother would. The girl had never met her obviously and even though she'd heard stories of the kind-hearted and strong-willed dwarrowdam, she was certain Dis wanted the best for her beloved sons and she wasn't sure she'd be able to fulfill her expectations.

"Do you think he'll let me stay with all of you? In Erebor I mean." Merys asked him. He seemed to contemplate her words before turning to her and laying his large hand on her shoulder.

"There's no way he wouldn't let you, _nan'ith."_ When Fili used the word for sister in Khuzdul her heart swelled with pride. She was aware that he knew of her feelings toward Kili, but she also knew that by acknowledging her as family would be like going against his uncle. Kili and her hadn't even started courting for ]fear of being rejected by Thorin, she'd choose not to court over being made to leave any time.

"Thank you Fili…" She'd never been part of a family and had never really longed for one before despite seeing many families as she resided in towns for a few years before moving on, but the gesture had made her tear up all the same.

"No, no, we'll have none of that." he said wiping the tear from her cheeks with his thumb before pulling her into a brief hug.

They sat for another hour at least before they woke Bofur and Nori for the next watch and went to sleep. Filled with warm feelings despite the chilly night Merys curled up onto her side laying back to back with Kili.

* * *

 _So Gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states of America which is awesome! And also I'd really like to thank CamillaLangdon for leaving a review again which was really, really sweet of them._

 _Please leave a review or favourite or like it would mean the world to me! And I hope all of you have a nice day!_

 _PS. I might revise this story when I get time during the summer holidays I want to clean up a bit and write some more interaction and get the timing right._


	10. Ch 9 really hate running

_Disclaimer - I own nothing but my OC's._

* * *

It was dusk a few days after their climb down from the Carrock when Gandalf told Bilbo to scout the area for orcs. As Gandalf had told Merys it was to gain some more trust between him and the dwarfs. Bilbo seemed a bit fearful as he climbed the rocks to peak over the outcrop, but determined. Apparently he liked the fact that he no longer felt unwanted or like a burden.

A while laterthe hobbit emerged from behind the rocks again to relay the news.

"How close are they?"

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it." Bilbo said out of breath, leaning with his hands on his knees. Gandalf's face showed worry at the hobbit's words that wasn't completely unshared by Merys and the rest of the company.

"Did they see you? They saw you."

" No, that's not it." He assured them.

"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." Gandalf said as he turned to the company with a smile as the dwarves chuckled at the wizard's comment.

"Will you listen- Will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there's something else out there."

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked as the mirth escaped from his voice. "Like a bear."

"Yes, but bigger, much bigger." he said as he shot a suspicious look a the istari.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked "I say we double back."

"And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin retorted.

The grey wizard turned and moved a few feet before speaking. "There is a house. Not far from here where we may take refuge." ga

"Whose house are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked apprehensiveness leaking into his baritone voice.

"Neither. They will help us or kill us." A chill ran up the girl's spine at his words and the dwarves looked at each other in dismay.

"What choice do we have?"

But Merys already knew as loud roar pierced the air. "None." she and Gandalf said at the same time.

It was the next morning that the orcpack caught the trace of their scents and they were leaping through the trees and over the plains that led to the house Gandalf had told them about. But the orcpack wasn't the only one of their concern as the largest bear Merys had ever seen burst through the underbrush and onto the plain they were on, rapidly gaining on them. She would have laughed as Bombur ran nearly twice as fast as she did, but even the young woman knew this was an inappropriate time. She urged to others to increase their speed as her own feet dug into to the earth like paws and shoveled out chunks of grass in the process.

They passed a gate covered in vines that surrounded the house that was their destination. Giving out a few curses as the dwarves struggle to open the massive door. Luckily Thorin moved to open the latch and they all stormed in. The door was slammed shut as to stay away from the snapping jaws. Merys was certain Kili would lose his head to the growling beast as his head was frighteningly close to the opening and thanked the Valar when the heavy hard-wood door finally closed. She sunk to the ground with her back against it and lowered her head down onto her knees no longer really caring about the banter of the dwarfs as she forced her breath to come out less raggedly. Glancing up to the small window above her it occurred to her the sun was already setting and she thought about how mad their journey had been so far. When she had been travelling alone she didn't have to do any of this, she could just go wherever her feet would take her and hardly any harm had ever come her way and here she was tired and covered in mud, grass and grime having barely escaped the sharp teeth of a shape shifter. Merys longed for the calm nights with the starry sky above her

Broken from her thoughts by Kili, who had his arm stretched out to her, a tired smile on his face as she was sure that he missed the comforts of home as much as she did the safety of being on her own. But she knew that she couldn't leave him and the rest of the company she had begun to see as family, so she figured the best she could now was to hope for night of long uninterrupted sleep. Snuggling up to the warm, floppy eared goat that lay next to her in the stack of hay that littered the floor, she sunk herself as deep as possible into the golden wheat and drifted off into dreamland.

She sat in the tree, lazily basking in the afternoon sunlight with closed eyes. The gentle breeze carried the scent of the tangy apples that were ready to be picked in the orchard nearby and the slight rustle of the grass a few feet below hid the sound of the pitter patter of the tiny feet of a wild hare. At the snapping of a branch Merys' eyes flew open to search for the source.

Between the trees stood a white elk, its head turned away from her as it grazed on the blades of grass that were abundant in the area. Slowly she climbed down, careful not to make a sound and to scare the creature away. She tiptoed closer to get a closer look at the magnificent beast but tripped on a gnarled root jutting out of the ground causing the elk to run. For some reason desperate to reach it her small body raced after it. When it shot of into the under brush she was left standing in a clearing together with Orcs. They didn't seem to notice her as she stood behind them and likewise she couldn't see the mangled bodies in front of them until they turned.

She jolted upwards with a scream causing the warm goat to leap away. Bits of straw shot of into the air before joining the rest of the pile again. At the huge table the dwarves sat shocked looks on their faces at her sudden outburst at which she gave a sheepish smile and mumbled an apology despite her heart that thundered in her small chest. The smell of fresh bread and sweet honey wafted through the air and she turned her head to the man standing at the head of the table, a frighteningly tall man with wild hair and even wilder amber eyes. She knew he had to be the owner of the homely place they had taken refuge in the night before. And as her heart settled slightly she slumped back into the make shift bed with a groan. She wasn't as tired as before but even now she could feel the lingering ache in her bones as she stretched until she heard a satisfying pop.

Her stomach was begging for food so she forced herself to get up and walked up to their host which she believed Gandalf had called Beorn. When she finally stood before him she felt small for the first time in her life. Sure many of the folk she had met had been taller but this time Merys reached just above mid-thigh and had to throw her head back to look Beorn in the face.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. Merys at your service." she said as she tentatively offered her hand to shake his which he begrudgingly took with a 'humpf'. His hand easily wrapped around hers making it appear as if it had disappeared all together. And with a nudge of his chin he told her to take a seat.

The air was heavy with tension and despite the fact that there was food on their plates and drink in their jugs the dwarves seemed uncomfortable. She sat down in between Fili and Kili and ripped a chunk of a loaf of bread and broke of a piece of honeycomb before licking her fingers clean.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield." Beorn stated suddenly, his deep voice matching his large physique. "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" At this her eyes shot up to look at their giant host.

"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin asked his face a stone masked, but his eyes showed his want to know.

"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the orcs came down from the North. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved." Beorn answered lifting his arms ever so slightly. Merys could see the heavy shackle that lay on his wrist and she instantly pitied him.

"Not for work you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." he continued as he filled Ori's jug with milk.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked and it dawned on Merys that he had a penchant for asking rude questions without meaning to.

"Once there were many." But Beorn answered the curly headed hobbit anyway.

"And now?" the dark skinned girl couldn't help herself as she send him a swift kick to the shin underneath the table and a quick glare at which he silently yelped, but his gaze remained on their host.

"Now there's only one."

Another bout of heavy silence fell as he spoke his words, but it was also he who broke it.

"You need to reach the mountain before the last days of Autumn?"

"Before Durin's day falls, yes." Gandalf answered.

"You are running out of time." Beorn stated matter of factly.

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood."

"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees." A chill ran down the girl's spine at the thought of more danger. " There's an alliance between the orcs of Moria and the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need."

"We will take the elven road. That path is still safe." Gandalf said but his voice wavered slightly and Merys knew he wasn't completely certain.

"Safe?" Beorn scoffed. "The wood-elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not."

"What do you mean?" Thorin near but whispered.

"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You'll never reach the forest alive." Beorn paused only to stand, but what he said next chilled the girl's blood with the fear of being denied help.

"I don't like dwarfs. They're greedy and blind to the lives they deem lesser than their own." he continued picking up a tiny white mouse in his massive hands. "But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?"

The sky was clear as Merys lay on top of Beorn's roof. She needed time to think. Relief had flooded her when he had agreed to help them reach Mirkwood, but she was still left with her personal issues that had become more troublesome the further they got in their quest to retrieve the mountain from the dragon.

The wizard had told her they would talk in the afternoon as they wouldn't be leaving until the next morning as they still had gather new supplies to replace their lost ones. Gandalf knew there was something of about her of that she was certain, but she doubted he could help her. So she decided to ponder her own theories of the mysterious dark feeling she had become so familiar with over time. It wasn't something she had had when she was alone. It all actually started when she started to get to know the company and found themselves in danger. She needed to protect them for a reason she didn't know why. Her head was starting to spin as she went over her theories again and again in search of a solution, before she decided to stop. She figured she wouldn't come up with a solution on her own and decided to go up on the Istari's offer and started her descend towards the lush green grass.

Gandalf sat in the rocking chair Beorn had placed on the cobbled piece of land connected to the house blowing rings of smoke in the air. She grimaced at the smell of old Toby as the smell wafted through her nose.

"Merys, my dear. Have you finally decided on speaking to me about what has been on your mind?" he said as he send her a smile.

"Hm." she replied, " I don't think I'll be able to keep this to myself much longer for I fear I'll go mad." a jesting tone at the end masked the seriousness of their conversation, but the wizard refused to be fooled by it.

"Girl." Gandalf said in a way that an adult would chide a child immediately causing Merys to slump in the floor.

"You're right I shouldn't take light of this." she mumbled, embarrassment apparent on her dark features. The wizard placed a consoling hand on her small shoulder.

"It is just that I don't have the words to explain it to you. I've been wanting to tell you for quite a while, but I still don't know how."

The istari only nodded in reply while inhaling the smoke from his pipe. He did this for a while before speaking. "I suppose the only way to do this is to simply say what is on your mind at the exact moment and we'll see where we'll end up." Merys didn't know what this would help but decided to humour the tall grey haired wizard.

With a deep sigh she began "I've been having these feelings lately that I've never felt before. This ominous, brooding feeling in my chest. At least that is what it feels like at first and then lose control over myself. It began when I met everyone and I'm not sure what it means."

"And when do these emotions usually occur?"

Merys thought about this. The first time was with the trolls, after that it happened when the Orcs first attacked and after that the goblin king. When she thought about it like this it started to make sense. Whenever she lost control it had been during a time of danger. The trolls had tried to cook them, the Orcs had tried to kill and the goblin king hadn't been much different.

She told the wizard of her findings, but it seemed he already had a clue on what she had been thinking for he shot her a knowing look at her seat on the floor.

"My child I believe you simply have a very strong need to protect those dear to you." the wizard said with a chuckle.

Is that all it was? Merys asked herself. Although a reasonable explanation there was still a bit of doubt in her, but she decided to let it go.

"You are probably right wise man." she said with a smile on her face this time slightly more genuine than before.

"Merys!" the girl swiveled her head to look at the sweat covered Kili that was jogging towards her and the wizard a huge grin on his face. "We were just messing around when Bombur said he was going to make a pie for tonight. We're going to need something for the filling though. Beorn doesn't want us killing anything so I thought we could use apples or pears or something. I thought you might want to join me." It was obvious to all of them that He just wanted to spend some time alone with the dark-skinned beauty. Shaking her head while laughing she stood up and grabbed ahold of his hand before pulling him in the direction of the pear tree she saw when she'd been up on the roof. "Come on let's go." she grinned whilst looking at him.

* * *

 _Hi everybody thank you for reading my new chapter. Also a big shout out to ZAHarrow a new friend who was so gracious to review my story, thank you for that it really made me happy to see review from another author! Anyway like I said in the previous chapter I'm planning on revising this story during the summer holiday which means I'm starting that tomorrow so if you like you can maybe check everything out again once I've done that. I'll tell you in the next authors note what I've changed so you won't have to but it would be nice to hear your opinions.  
_ _So favourite, follow and/or review if you feel like it. ;)_


	11. Ch 10 On the road again

_Disclaimer - I only own my OCs._

* * *

"Come on let's go." Merys grinned at Kili while pulling him along towards where she knew the pear tree. Trudging through the tall grass they reached the slim but sturdy thing. Kili was already trying to make his way up when Merys stopped him.

"Why don't you let me do that. We don't want you falling out of a tree again like you did in Rivendell." The young dwarf grimaced as he remembered himself falling. It had hurt his pride but he wasn't about to show that to the young woman. Cupping his hands whilst leaning his back against the rough bark he waited for her to climb up.

Merys giggled at the gesture before setting her small foot onto Kili's hands. Cursing was all she could do to prevent from screaming out as the young dwarf nearly propelled her into the air, almost making her collide with a particularly sturdy branch on the way. Grabbing ahold of it she clambered up until she was sitting safely midway up the tree. Glancing down she saw the smirk of the dark-haired trickster that was still with his feet safely on the grassy ground.

"You little!" She yelled for lack of better words before grabbing an over-ripe pear from a branch nearby before chucking it at his head. Sadly it only nicked him and splattered into pieces on the solid ground. Grabbing another pear she tried but failed again, but at this point she no longer really cared as they were both having fits of laughter.

"Hey we still need those pears you rascals!" Bombur yelled, his head sticking through the windowsill. It was actually the first time Merys heard him speak, but her surprise only helped in making her laugh even louder. She could barely make out few dissatisfied grumbles before she wiped a few tears from her eyes trying to regain her breath.

"You heard him let's pick some pears." Kili said still recovering from their joined fit of laughter. Merys shot him an annoyed dirty look before untying one of her shawls and piling up pears inside of it.

"Kili!" the dwarf turned to look up. "Catch me." he was about to tell her not to jump, but it was already to late. Air whizzed through her hair as she fell and with a thump she landed in Kili's arms, almost immediately slamming both of them to the ground. As they lay on the ground next to each other they groaned, their limbs sore from the impact.

"That wasn't so bad, haha."

"You have got to be joking." Kili murmured whilst turning on his side to look her in the eye. He sounded slightly tired but in his eyes there was the ever-present twinkle. Smiling she turned to look at him. It had been quite a long time since they'd been alone, the company always nearby or around. Kili moved his hand to swipe one of her curls from her face.

"You know I care for you. I'm certain uncle Thorin wont be against us being together." he spoke in a kind voice but there was no way from stopping a flood of anger from running through her.

It was a discussion they had had several times over the past few months, but still she refused to start officially courting him. She was certain Thorin wouldn't really be against them courting he wanted his younger nephew to be happy however she knew that the timing of it all was very inconvenient to say the least. They were on a mission to reclaim Erebor there was no way he could have his nephew foolishly trying to protect her. If he had to choose between her and her nephew the choice was simple.

And yet all that wasn't even the primary reason why she refused to court him. The truth was that she was scared. She had fallen hard and fast when she met the handsome dwarf, but what did she know. Love was a feeling unknown to her, how could she be certain this was truly love. She didn't want him to end up heartbroken only because she made a rash decision. She didn't want to be rushed.

"Don't try to persuade me into this! This is not something i can decide on such short notice." she said angrily slapping at his hand before standing up.

"Short notice you've been thinking about this for months!" he yelled as he made move to sit up. But Merys was already stomping of back towards Beorn's cabin.

"Fine! Ignore me all you want." he huffed angrily.

Angrily Merys slammed the door as she made her way inside, making the hinges creak at the force of the blow. With slightly to much force she opened her shawl making the pears roll out over the table. Several dwarves shot her muddled looks as she made her way to the haystack she slept on the night before finding it taken by several of the floppy eared goats. She wouldn't dare moving them out of the way and so she untied another one of her shawls before securing the two of them unto a hammock. Clambering up the thick post that supported the roof until she was at the very top. She fastened the ends making sure they were secure before leaping to the post opposite of the one she wad in now before doing the same there. She checked to see if the hammock would hold twice before easing into it. Normally this would have taken twice as long but today her anger fuelled her. She knew he just wanted both of them to be happy, but his impatience was pissing her off. Why couldn't he be content just being by her side.

She huffed before turning on her side and closing her eyes. Not hungry enough to join the rest of the company for pie. As the smell of pears wafted through the air a while later it re-awakened the feelings inside of her, but it wasn't anger any longer. A mix of annoyance, sadness and stubbornness. She didn't want to be angry at the young dwarf, but the thought of apologising for something she truly believed was right didn't sit well. 'I'll talk to him in the morning.' she thought to herself before letting herself fall in an not entirely peaceful sleep.

It was the second morning of their stay at the skin-changer's house and the company was preparing to go on the road again. Packs were being filled with honeycomb and fresh bread and ponies were being saddled. The young woman stood next to her own pony, a lovely mare, together with the giant man. Beorn was fastening the saddle whilst the girl brushed the mare's manes and kissed the beauty's fuzzy muzzle.

"Master Beorn, I would like to thank you for being so gracious to us the past days. From what Gandalf told me I understood you don't really get along with dwarves." she said the last part with a grimace. She felt Beorn's eyes on her, but he didn't respond. "I hope you find happiness." Just as she was about to join the rest of the company reins in her hands he spoke. "You would do well to watch yourself when travelling those woods. There's a spell on that forest don't let it trick your mind into losing your way." His words were strange, but there was way she was not going to take his advice. She gave a firm nod, shaking her head of dark curls in the process, "I will."

Leading the pony over to Bofur who himself just buckled the last strap on his own horse she let out a sigh.

"Will you let me in on what's on your mind lass." he said his voice ever jolly. "Might not be able to provide much help though." he finished with a chuckle. She laughed at this, but the usual sparkle didn't reach her eyes.

"Travel has just been rough in me. Sadly a full nights sleep isn't going to do much to make up for several months." Bofur nodded in understanding. It was obvious he wanted to say more, but he kept quiet only nodding.

"Well if you want to talk you know where to find me." she grinned in reply mumbling a silent "I will" before putting her foot in the stirrup and throwing the other over the mare's back. Ready for the long day on horseback she moved the mare into a trot.

It was late afternoon when they finally reached the edge of Mirkwood forest and Merys had yet to speak to Kili about their argument if you could call it that from the day before. Every time she moved to walk next to the dark-haired dwarf he increased speed. Eventually she became to annoyed at his childish reactions and she refused to try again. She caught Fili sneaking glances at her his expression showed his worry, but he made no move to join her for fear of aggravating his brother any further.

When Merys stepped of her mare and moved to lay her palm on the trunk of one of the trees, dread filled her as she felt the diseases that riddled the wood. She pulled her hand back as if she'd been burned, staring at her palm, a puzzled expression on her features. Beorn had told them the forest was sick and Radagast had done so before that, but feeling it first-hand caused her blood to run cold. She didn't want to enter the forest and when the wizard said he needed to leave she almost wanted to join him to wherever it was he was going. Almost but she knew they rest of the company would need her in the dark forest. Not knowing how she knew, but being unable to shrug of the dread she felt at the thought of leaving the company without protection.

Day was blending into night and not one could tell how long they'd been in Mirkwood. Despite her promise to Beorn, Merys found herself unable to keep to it. Her mind was already muddled and her form was beginning to sway slightly while she walked. A thin sheet of sweet covered her forehead due to the humidity that hung in the air like a thick fog. When a white elk appeared in the thick underbrush she was certain she'd gone completely mad for she was beginning to dream while being awake. In an attempt to get closer to the magnificent creature her bare foo caught on a stray root tumbling to the sticks and leaves that littered the ill coloured ground. As her head hit the ground the world faded into black.

* * *

 _Okay so here's another chapter it's shorter because I'm finding it harder to write as I've sort of lost my muse. I will continue to update though and if you have a suggestion or an idea I would love to hear from you so leave a review. Also I'd like to thank the guest that reviewed, that was really sweet of you. Anyway I hope you have a nice weekend._


	12. Ch 11 Spidey

While Merys lay passed out on the soggy ground the dwarves had continued on their journey, not knowing that they'd lost a member of their company. Their minds were already to hazy after only half a week of traversing the ominous forest. They stumbled over the paths that were like veins through the woods, kept track of the trees they passed, but they were still oblivious to the fact they were crossing the same ones every day or so.

Meanwhile Merys had awoken all alone miles away from the company. Her head pounded and her throat was parched from lack of water. Leaning her back against the unknown substance that coated the bark of the trees, she cradled her forehead in hope of relieving the pain. A rustle of the leaves caused her to glance around with squinted eyes looking for its source, but she was unable to find it.

Brushing of twigs and mushy leaves from her pale cotton breeches she stood up trying to find out where the rest of the company was. When after swiveling her head to all directions without finding anything a foreboding feeling rose inside her chest.

"Fili?" she tried calling out to the trees surrounding her. "Bofur? Ori?" when she still didn't receive a reply she knew she was truly on her own.

Again she heard a rustle at which she turned so fast she thought she might have given herself whiplash, but again nothing was there. At least nothing she could see, but the eeriness she usually felt when something was watching her was still present.

Picking up her satchel that had come loose from her waist she started going in the direction away from the eerie rustling and hopefully towards the band of dwarves.

When after several miles of finding nothing she began to worry. Sure she was slightly baffled and angry at how they could forget her when she'd been walking to the front of the group when she had fallen surely they would have seen her descent, but the thought of staying in the ominous forest alone at night made her forgive them immediately.

It also occurred to her that her thoughts were no longer muddled other than the slight buzz she felt which must have been caused by the egg that was forming near the front of her scalp. She was however glad that the only thing needed to gain back some sanity was just a swift blow to the head. The bump would probably disappear in no time as all the injuries she sustained usually did.

She knew she was past the bridge at least as they'd passed it before they lost the path. And even now she could find no trace of the black pieces of slate that were supposed to guide them through the blasted forest. Cursing under her breath she stepped over a particularly large root when she heard a scream.

Clambering over roots and vines she moved towards the sound she knew to be Kili's voice. What she found when she finally found him was not what she was expecting. There he lay on the ground, on top of him one of the most massive spiders he had ever seen. Figuring this had been the source of the rustling sound from earlier she was about to step out of the underbrush to come to his aid she felt pressure on her back and an icy liquid that spread through her veins. Turning around to face whatever it was that had done this she scampered back. In front of her was another one of these spiders. Its pincers were raised revealing many more smaller ones as it hissed. Frozen in shock Merys simply watched as the horrifying creature inched closer. Meanwhile the ice water like feeling seemed to spread, its icy fingers taking ahold of her heart forcing it to slow down. Even when a short blade pierced the spiders skull and a tall red haired elf saved Kili Merys still didn't move a finger.

Only when delicate but strong fingers wrapped around her upper arm did she flinch. She felt the dark haired dwarfs eyes on her as they were escorted to where she presumed the rest of the company was.

She met eyes with Bofur just as a large band of elves were searching the dwarves for weapons.

"Lass? You alright?" he asked when the girl came to stand next to him holding out her arms slightly so he she elf could pat her down looking for weapons. When she couldn't find anything she's shot her a look before moving on. If she noticed anything on the girls back she would have said something she figured so she nodded at the dwarf with the goofy hat.

It appeared that no one had noticed she had been missing, but she couldn't inquire any further as every time someone attempted to communicate they got shot down by a look from one of the guards.

As they proceeded to walk the grim woods made way for more green. The first streaks of sunlight filtered through the trees moments before they came to a stop in front of a tall but narrow gate. It split in two allowing them to enter before being ordered closed.

Before them was a massive hall, seemingly built on trees and carved out of stone. The ceilings reached higher than she could see and as they crossed the narrow walkways she had to everything to prevent herself from moving to peer down the edges.

A puzzled expression sat on her face when they were all led down a staircase with the exception of Thorin. She was about to protest when one of the guards gave her a slight push to urge her to continue to walk, but a sharp jolt of pain made her cry out softly. The pain originated from the same place the spider had bit her and though the venom had dissipated mostly the wound hadn't begun to heal and was becoming hot and uncomfortable under the thick layer of shawls.

She noticed Kili shooting her a look of concern from the corner of her eye, but she just gave him a wry smile. It was obvious he didn't believe her to be fine, but unable to speak up near the guards he kept his mouth shut. Merys didn't understand why the healing process hadn't kicked in yet. Usually a small wound would have disappeared by now.

As they descended many staircases it became clear to her where they were going. The dungeons. Not long after they were shoved (or at least some of them were) into small cells that left only enough room to slouch on the stone bench that sat inside. The cells were spaced away from each other presumably to prevent the prisoners from conversing with one another. That however didn't stop the loud dwarves from yelling at one another once the ascended the staircases again.

Letting her still thrumming head rest against the bars Merys waited as that was apparently all they could do. She'd tried to lean back against the cool surface of the stone cell wall, but once her injury hit the unrelenting surface she'd had to stifle a groan. At the sound Ori had looked at her from his own cell across from her. He'd asked her if she'd been alright, she'd waved his question of saying she was fine hoping that this would really be over once she got some rest.

Trying again to lay on the bench this time on her side she tried to fall asleep seeing as they would probably be here for a while. The girl curled up her legs until she fit snuggly on the small bench before closing her eyes.

As she fell asleep she'd hoped for some peaceful sleep, but the Valar forbid she couldn't even have that. Hallucinogenic dreams followed her in her sleep hazy images of grand bright halls and of faces she didn't recognize.

I am leaving for Italy on Monday so I'm not going to update for two weeks, but I'm still going to continue writing and hopefully I'll be able to post a longer chapter or maybe even two so please be patient. Also any reviews, favorites or follows are very much appreciated. ;3  
Ps sorry if this was crappy I wrote it on my phone.


	13. Ch 12 A peak into the past

_Hey so I'm back with another chapter. I haven't updated since July and I feel pretty awful about it. I basically no longer feel the urge to continue writing this. I've written other stuff the past year and the standard of this fanfic is just too low._

 _However the lovely BlueRubyBeat reviewed and it got me to at least finish this chapter. So thank you for reviewing and the other people who favorited and followed as well. THANK YOU SO MUCH._

 _SO anyway let's get on with the chapter._

* * *

Plunged into the darkness the moment Merys closed her eyes. She felt her stomach drop at the sensation. Where she was, she did not know, but that wasn't really what concerned her at the moment for she was standing on something yet nothing at all. She was standing because she was not falling for she felt no air rushing past her, but at the same time there was no pressure on the soles of her feet and whenever she dipped her foot down she could go on for what she assumed was eternity. The never ending darkness made it impossible to see anything, but whenever she moved it felt like she was being weighed down by something as if she was moving though water or sludge.

After turning around with some effort she tried to find a way out for this was surely another one of her crazy dreams, but there was nothing. The girl closed her eyes in frustration when suddenly she felt more pressure coming form her side. Opening her dark orbs she turned to see what it was. Of course she could still see nothing, but an impending sense of dread filled her and she unknowingly took a step away from it and then another and another. She turned to face away from the unknown presence and started running. Relatively slow at first, but picking up speed as she pushed through the slurry like air. A single dot of light appeared on what could have been the horizon had there been any and she started going even faster as the ominous presence started doing so as well.

The dot grew brighter and brighter with every step until she was only steps away. The pale light blinded her, making her shield her eyes and making it impossible to see what was ahead. Surely however it couldn't be any worse than what was waiting for her if she were to turn back. So she set foot into the blinding light and felt for the first time since entering this strange dimension solid ground underneath her bare feet. After setting her other foot inside she dropped to the ground exhausted after moving through the suffocating air of the dark place.

Taking in heaping gulps of fresh air she dared to look up for the first time. Before her was a grand Hall, but unlike the great halls of Mirkwood there was only stone and no foliage could be seen. High rising arches held up the pristine roof and light filtered in though the hazy air from the sides. It wasn't a harsh light as it had seemed before she entered it. Now it was gentle and calm and made the whole place look intensely serene. So when a soft and loving voice swayed in on the wind it seemed in no way out of place. It was a sweet song the voice sang.

"The softest clay molded with care

Locks of shiny, curling hair

Eyes clear to only see truth

And arms strong to hold in old and in youth

Lips to heal and kiss away pain

Natural beauty though never vain

Love to love and live to live

Live to love and live only to give"

The way it was sung reminded the girl of a lullaby and for some reason it was like she'd heard it before. She tried to recollect when she had, but the more she tried to delve into her past her skull seemed to want to split itself in half. Deciding to let it go for now she started following the voice out of the high arched halls and into a large room. There in front of a hulking fireplace sat a woman. Her long her and long build made her look like an elf but she had no signs of pointy ears and her gaze was to warm to be that of one, for nearly every one she'd met held a certain coolness in their gaze. But not the lady before her she sang with an extreme warmth as she seemed to stroke something in her arms. Merys turned to see what it was she was holding and a level of shock came over her when she saw a tiny dark skinned baby not larger than the lady's lower arm. That wasn't however what shocked the girl. It was the fact that the baby didn't breathe or made an movement for that matter and the woman showed no signs of worry.

Merys was about to ask if the baby was okay when it jolted to life and started crying. The sound was soft and the baby's little face scrunched up as it let out its cries. The graceful lady looked elated as she wrapped another lap of fabric around it protecting the little girls skin from the air. When the woman presented her pinky finger to the babe however it ceased its crying and happily sucked on the appendage.

It was also then that Merys noticed something even stranger for it's cheeks were made of clay. She blinked trying to clear her eyes for surely they weren't telling her the truth. How could a baby made of clay move, but even after ridding her eyes of any impurities it remained the same. The babe was really made of clay and once again she tried to ask the graceful lady how, but her question fell on deaf ears.

The scenery changed. The air before had been cold outside and the heat of the hearth welcoming, but now it seemed to have switched, for inside everything was nice and cool and outside a gentle breeze wafted hot air through the open door. Merys stepped over the threshold and into a grand garden filled with lush trees and shrubbery. There the elegant lady was again, but this time in a different dress. She was sitting on her knees, her arms outstretched beckoning the babe from before. The babe had grown and was now standing on its own feet as it shuffled them in an effort to reach the dark-haired lady's hands. The little girl giggled as her dark curls bounced around her head. Her pudgy feet took step after step whilst her arms were stretched out in front of her.

Merys chuckled at the sight of the cute thing bumbling about. When it started to wobble the lady started to reach out her hand for the babe but was already too late. It fell backwards onto its bottom. Her bottom lip trembled and soon her eyes started to water. The little girl let out a loud wail causing Merys to cover her ears. Her eyes squeezed shut and she stumbled backwards.

The scenery changed, but again there was the sound of a child crying. This time though it was farther away. Removing her hands from her ears Merys followed the sound of the child in distress.

Merys found the source of the wailing near the edge of a platform. The young girl with the dark curls struggled against the hold two large men in shiny uniform had on her. The graceful woman was in the same position.

"Äma!" The girl screeched reaching out for her mother. The woman did the same thing while tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

Merys watched as the child inched closer to the edge of the platform. The woman's wailing increased even more. She was begging for her baby to be released, that she was only a child, but the guards didn't listen and with a final push the girl was send flying over the edge.

The hold on the woman was released and she bolted for the edge of the platform, but it was already too late. The girl was gone.

The sight of the woman and child would have been enough to make anyone sick, but Merys' felt sick for different reason. Finally she recognized the little brown skinned girl. It had been herself. She wanted to slap herself for not recognizing herself any sooner.

But why? Why was she seeing this.

* * *

Meanwhile Kili's cheeks were pressed against the cold metal bars of his cell. Merys' moans had been echoing through the dungeons for hours. He had already known something was wrong when they were being marched down the winding staircases. With every step she seemed to sway even more so than the one before.

"Äma... Mother..." Kili cringed as she called for a mother she didn't even knew. The others had been yelling for a while now demanding that she'd be given aid, but no help so far had come.

Mean while Kili felt terrible. He knew he should have forgiven her sooner. He knew and yet the air in the woods had muddled his mind so much by the time he remembered he needed to speak with her she'd disappeared.

When she had finally returned he had let out a sigh of relief only for his breath to catch at the sight of the huge spider honing in on her. Luckily the she elf had saved her from getting killed but judging by her expression something had gone wrong even before that.

His head snapped to the side as footsteps echoed through the dungeons. Down the staircase came a tall elf. His (or at least Kili hoped he was male) auburn hair was kept out of his face with simple braids.

"The prince has ordered me to make you cease your incessant yammering." The elfs face was contorted into a scowl as he spoke.

"The girl that came with us. Something has gone amiss when we were ambushed by the spiders. I believe she is running with a fever if you would allow us to check in on her. She's barely eighty years old far too young to succumb to eternal sleep." Balin said always the more tactical member of the party.

The elf made his way over to small cell on the other side of the room. His face changed from a look of disgust to one of worry. He faced the dwarfs before leaping up the staircase leaving the dwarfs to once again yell at the stone walls. Kili slumped against the metal bars in desperation. He truly felt that he had found his one and now she was about to be taken away from him.

His eyes were about to start watering when the elf came back, this time with another elf following him. They swung open the cell door and pulled her in their arms. She looked so small and fragile hanging limply in their arms like that. He arm hung suspended in the air and her skin was a waxy pale colour unlike her regular brown skin.

"Wait where are you taking her?!" Kili yelled as they started their ascent to the upper levels.

"We are taking her to our healers." Was all he said before disappearing from his sight.

"WAIT!" Kili yelled but they were already gone.

* * *

 _So umm... not too long of a chapter, but I hope it was enough._

 _So basically I want to ask you guys to review not so much as too tell me what you think on the writing but whether you guys would be interested if I sort of rewrite the story. It's basically the only way I think I'd be able to continue writing this._

 _I won't be making too many changes, just cleaning things up a bit and stuff like that. Anyway curious to see what your thoughts are on this and I would really love to hear from you so if it's not too much trouble review. Even a yes or a no would be fine. :')_


End file.
